Joe Harmon has dreamed of building a commercial sports complex since 1985. With the construction of Big House Sports on Woodmen Road between Black Forest Road and MarkSheffel Road, Harmon’s dream is about to come true.Harmon, a sports administrator, has partnered with Rick Swann, head volleyball coach at Colorado College, to build Big House Sports. “I’ve wanted to do this all my life,” Harmon said.Big House Sports is a comprehensive sports facility for families and encompasses 95,000 square feet. The plans include weight training equipment, exercise machines, indoor sand volleyball courts, hardwood courts for volleyball and basketball and indoor turf for softball, baseball and futsal, which is indoor soccer.”In Kansas City, Mo., 6,000 kids play futsal,” Harmon said. Harmon also said he is partnering with Pride Soccer, a Colorado Springs soccer club, to “have soccer explode in Colorado.”Harmon also said they hope to set up leagues for wrestling, ping pong, wiffle ball and badminton.The floor plan for Big House Spots is designed to encourage the entire family to participate in healthy activities. “While mom uses an elliptical machine and dad uses a weight training machine, they can watch their daughter play volleyball or their son play futsal,” Harmon said.After a workout, mom and dad can relax at the cafÈ – which will serve healthy food – and they can continue watching their children via live feed monitors that Harmon calls “WOW TV!” After a game, the kids can join their parents at the cafÈ and watch replays, he said.Big House Sports also has partnered with Stellar Junior Olympic Volleyball, Colorado Springs STARS Basketball and Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation Youth Basketball to sponsor leagues and tournaments for youths and adults.”We’ll have parent certification classes to help parents understand that youth athletics is not for the scoreboard – it’s for kids to grow strong and confident,” Harmon said. “Our motto is ‘where kids are more important than the scoreboard.’ We’ll have programs for very competitive kids, for not-so-competitive kids and for kids that just want to have fun. Whatever their skill level or age level, they will be able to find a niche at Big House Sports.”Summer day camp, ski trips, mountain hiking, group exercise classes, massage, physical therapy, a teen weight-loss club and special events like a luau for the members are included in the plans as well. Harmon said he plans to provide pitching lessons and golf and tennis swing analysis using the Dartfish video software, which, he said, is used by Olympic athletes.Free wireless Internet connections and homework and meeting rooms for members will be available when the facility opens.Harmon said he expects construction to start in December with completion as early as April. “I’ll probably start signing up leagues and selling memberships in February,” he said. “Memberships will be very affordable.”
