MISSOULA — Playing sports in Montana year round isn't the easiest thing to do, but a new facility in Missoula aims to change that.
The Sports Barn is a new business offering indoor turf time to adults and kids. The facility has supplies for soccer, corn hole, spike ball and much more.
For co-owners Ryan and Amy Hanavan, the launch is a dream come true.
“My wife Amy has a background as a rec director. I've been coaching youth, high school and college sports for over 20 years and we have always had this sort of passion where we just, we'd like to offer opportunities for not just kids but adults as well," Ryan Hanavan said. "We want to create these affordable options for everybody to come in and play.”
The Sports Barn is near the end of an initial construction phase, but soccer and lacrosse leagues are already underway and using the turf. A flag football league is in the works.
“Our construction is ongoing, but we're still able to bring kids in here and have them play and adults as well,” Hanavan explained.
The Sports Barn has a light or dark mode. For birthday parties or just for kicks, the garage door is shut and LED lights turned on to create glow-in-the-dark fun.
"[It's] a way of trying to imagine how to use the space and how to bring people in and how to give them something affordable to just have fun with. So we're excited about that,” Hanavan said.
The business plans to celebrate a grand opening in a few weeks. Right now, they’re setting up pro-level golf simulators.
“What it allows you to do is play golf, year-round, which is a luxury that we do not get to enjoy at all in Montana,” Andrew Calabro, The Sports Barn golf and lacrosse specialist, told MTN News.
The GCHawk technology has high-speed cameras that track club head and ball speed, launch angle, and more to produce ball flight as you play. Game stats show up on a TV similar to bowling.
“It will allow you to play courses that you would most likely never get the opportunity to play, like Pebble Beach,” Calabro said.
The PGA-level tech provides an opportunity for golfers to improve their game.
“Hitting a driving range is special and that's where a lot of people grow their golf game, but when you really see the stats and especially with how many stats and everything that these machines can tell you about your swing, it really opens up the opportunity to a drop a few strokes on your game, but really start honing in what parts of your game need work,” Calabro said.
The family team at The Sports Barn plans to add more activities in the future like batting cages or a putting green.
For information on their league schedules, party rates, and open-play visit the website here.
