The University of Illinois Springfield hosted the grand opening for the new Springfield Clinic Dome at Scheels Sports Park on February 12th and 13th as a part of the UIS Softball Springfield Clinic Classic.
Scheels Sports Park hosts the largest air-supported dome in the world, which spans 196,000 square feet. The construction of the dome was part of a more than 60-million-dollar project designed to host year-round sports competitions. Sources familiar with the project estimate the dome will bring in more than 200,000 visitors yearly to the Springfield area and generate 25-30 million dollars in economic earnings for Springfield.
“The dome is big enough to fit the entire Scheels store plus another half of the store comfortably inside. It could also hold 7.5 billion ping pong balls,” said Chris Stritzel, one of the dome’s project managers.
The new dome isn’t only for softball but also includes six full-size basketball courts that can be converted into 12 volleyball courts, a multi-purpose turf field and five batting cages. The Scheels Sports Park has sprawling exterior amenities, as well. Including, eight multi-purpose turf fields that can be changed into 15 softball fields with seating. This massive sports complex allows Springfield to be home to everything from youth sports to national tournaments.
A Grand Start to the Season
For the UIS Softball team, the Springfield Clinic Classic tournament was a great first taste of what the dome has to offer. The Prairie Stars hosted ten games at the dome in February, winning nine of them, which showcased a rare accomplishment, as UIS, like many other softball programs, is used to traveling in the first month of the season.
UIS senior Rosie Bartletti pitched 11 innings across the two days of the tournament, striking out 17 batters and allowing just one run. Her teammate, freshman Emme Steward, was the Great Lakes Valley Conference player of the week after going eight for nine with seven RBI’s during the tournament.
This was no accident, as Steward said the dome helped to replicate practice conditions, “Having the dome during the colder months is such a blessing; we’re able to structure our practices to be more game-like, and that helps us when we compete.”
The University of Illinois Springfield Softball Team vs. the Thomas More Saints on February 13th. Photo by Braden Nuttall.
“We went from practicing on a gym floor, with a few cages, to being able to get full reps in every position. We knew it was a complete game changer for our program,” said UIS head Softball coach, Shannon Gurhtrie, on the impact of the dome on the teams performance.
Guthrie’s players also echoed similar statements. Bartletti said, “It’s not only temperature-controlled, but also offers all the space we could ever need for softball. Being one of the first collegiate softball teams to play in the dome was very special to us.”
According to Guthrie, the dome also helped boost audience turn-out and enthusiasm, “We got so many new fans out who may have just wanted to see the dome or just enjoy softball without the outdoor elements.”
A wide view of the indoor softball field located at the Springfield Clinic Scheels Sports Park Dome. Photo by Braden Nuttall.
UIS Athletics Director Mike Hermann spoke on the benefits the dome offers to the program over all beyond individual sports, “The ability for baseball and softball teams to use the dome since returning to campus in January, has put the program miles ahead of our competition because of the ability to simulate live games but it also saves our budget from extended travel, decreases wear and tear on student athletes and minimizes missed class time.”
With the Scheels Sports Park being so new, the long-term agreement for how UIS will use this space is still being finalized. According to Kelsea Gurski, Association Chancellor of Strategic Communications, UIS pays $500 per day for games, while team practices are scheduled in two hour blocks at $150 per session. She also said that UIS purposefully books non-peak hours to avoid higher costs.
The grand opening of the Springfield Clinic Dome at Scheels Sports Park may serve as a blueprint for universities looking to limit travel costs and deal with weather limitations. Scheels and UIS hope to bring a sense of community, economic growth, and a large tourist attraction that can fuel Springfield for years to come.
