Upward Star Center

Spartanburg, SC
Construction Cost: $16 million
Area / Square Feet: 121,000
Occupancy Date: August 2014

Established in 1995, Upward Sports is the worldโ€™s largest Christian youth sports provider. Today, approximately half a million players participate in camps, clinics and leagues at more than 2,000 churches in 47 states. The Performance Division โ€” Upward Stars โ€” was created in 2012 and is aimed at young athletes who want to further develop their skills and participate at a higher level of competition. Within the first year, 900 athletes competed on Upward Star teams.

The idea for a multi-sports complex that would serve as a premier athletic training and development destination was conceived by this non-profit organization whose ministry and mission is to develop physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being through athletic competition.

The 60-acre sports complex includes a 120,000-square-foot facility called The Star Center, surrounded by multipurpose outdoor fields for soccer, lacrosse and 7-on-7 football, as well as sand volleyball courts. The center itself is a destination for regional and national tournaments, with amenities such as six full-size NCAA basketball courts and 12 regulation indoor volleyball courts, along with batting cages, golf-swing analysis, a fifth-mile running track and a gymnasium with free weights and cardio machines. A linear public concourse connects the gyms with upper- and lower-level spectator areas.

Another feature, The Sports Medicine Institute, provides therapy and clinical care space for examinations, procedures and imaging services.