Athletics bring together communities. From t-ball parents tying cleats for the first time to students cheering on the boys of fall on Friday night and families preparing for dance recitals - nothing brings a group of people together like the bond of sport. In Hermiston, a group of parents committed to youth sports enough to take on a multi-million-dollar fundraising goal with the hopes of creating a new athletic facility for young athletes – and driving sports tourism for the community.
The HERmiston Oregon Sportsplex (HEROS) began as an 18-acre parcel of land located at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center in Hermiston. The property has often been utilized for parking during large events and has been looked to as a potential location for recreation fields, but immediate development of the property was deferred to a later time.
As the population has grown and interest in the sports of soccer and lacrosse increased, the need for a larger athletic facility and a location for tournaments grew, too, and a group of community members stepped up to the plate to get the ball rolling. With their children active in youth sports, the goal was set to create a state-of-the-art sportsplex for their community, continuing Hermiston’s role as a sports destination, and bringing families and economic support to the region.
After researching with vendors ranging from soccer nets to lacrosse equipment, football goalposts, and score clocks, the HEROS committee put together a budget to turn the bare ground into the best sports facility in the northwest. Who could better determine the amenities of the facility than parents spending every weekend at a ball field? As the costs tallied, a $2.5 million total lay at the bottom of the spreadsheet.
Though a steep climb, the goal was not considered out of reach by a community known for giving and a heart for athletics. Since the property at EOTEC is owned by the City of Hermiston, the next step was to present the research findings and fundraising goals to the Hermiston City Council to determine the future of the site. The team put together a presentation and asked the City of Hermiston for support. If the community crowdsourced the start-up funding, would the City support the facility’s development? The answer was yes.
The group worked with Made to Thrive, a local 501(c)3 non-profit supporting youth in sports and activities in the area. The Made to Thrive Board of Directors determined they’d be happy to take on the financial holdings of the project, allowing contributions to the project to have a tax incentive.
Local businesses and residents supported the goal and funding and in-kind donations were established. The initial donations allowed for irrigation infrastructure and grass seed to be planted, establishing 6 fields that can be used for football, lacrosse, and soccer. In addition to the fields, lighting was installed on 2 fields, allowing for evening games and longer field time. Equipment was purchased, as well, including nets, benches, and score clocks. To date, the group has raised nearly $1.5 million for the project in just 2 years.
The fields were leased to HEROS during development and then returned to the City for ongoing maintenance. The fields can be used for a rental fee, which is used for the costs of maintenance at the sportsplex. Parking fees are assessed at large tournaments and events, which add to the ongoing maintenance fund for the space.
HEROS hosted its first local tournament in March, the Farm City Face-Off, bringing 18 lacrosse teams from across the northwest, including Yakima, Wenatchee, and Tri-Cities, to play Oregon teams from Burns and Hermiston. In total, nearly 400 attendees were at the event. The hosting organization, Hermiston Youth Lacrosse, also asked local vendors to attend the event, including 6 food vendors and an apparel company, supporting local
businesses.
In addition to supporting the businesses on site, the families of athletes playing in the tournament also spend money locally on hotel rooms, local restaurants, and purchasing fuel. Hermiston has often been looked at as a sports-tourism community, with countless AAU basketball tournaments hosted in the winter months and many other athletic events hosted at Kennison Field, Hermiston Little League complex, and the always-busy Butte Park fields.
The HEROS facility adds to the sports amenities of the area, attracting youth tournaments, Oregon State Athletics Association (OSAA) or Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) sanctioned events, and collegiate teams to turn off of the freeway to practice.
The HEROS facility has not reached its full potential, however. The group still needs about $1 million to reach the goal of creating a premier destination sportsplex in the northwest. For more information on how you can support the Sportsplex, please visit Hermiston Park & Recreation.
In the communities of eastern Oregon, the HEROS Sportsplex stands as a testament to athletic excellence and community connection. From the humble beginnings of dedicated parents to the vibrant gatherings of athletes and spectators from near and far, HEROS embodies the power of sports to forge lasting bonds for teams and communities.
As the HEROS fields continue the journey towards realizing the full potential of this premier sports destination, remember that it’s not just about the games played, but the connections we make along the way that truly define us. Together, we are creating powerful connections.