On August 15, 2025 at Lincoln South Rotary Club we heard from Joe Fagler of Sandhills Global Sports Complex.
Joe started the program with a video (https://olsson.wistia.com/medias/600qhy9nxf) of many people talking about the beauty and benefits of the Sandhills Global Youth Complex. We heard about how the complex will help youth develop skills, learn to enjoy team activities and appreciate what the community has provided for them. We also heard a bit about the economic impact as people are drawn to the complex for tournaments.
He was involved during the design of the complex. He talked about the team working on the development and their focus on providing a positive experience. And, he said, they maintained their focus on serving youth. There are no plans to expand to allow adult ball events.
The complex is unlike any other in the state. It is 100% artificial turf so can be used many more months of the year that others in Lincoln. UNL has chosen it as an alternative to Haymarket Park for practice as they wanted an option to practice on a field with artificial turf. Because of the artificial turf, they have been able to hold over 99% of their games - even after it rains.
There are currently 7 fields and they have a goal to expand to 10 or 12. With that they can complete with other cities in the area such as Des Moines, Wichita and Kansas City. He stated they will also soon have soccer field(s) available. Though they want to host national tournaments they want to be sure to stay "open" enough to support the needs of our local teams.
From the website "Our all-turf fields are designed to be a space for youth of all backgrounds, abilities and ages to come together and play their best. We’re excited to host instructional clinics/camps, games, and tournaments for youth from Lincoln, the region and the nation." The complex is handicap accessible and last year their events included some for the Special Olympics.
One of the significant activities last year was a sponsored camp. Many underserved youth were able to learn about baseball and get in touch with outdoor activities. Many had never played before. They all received a glove, helmet and t-shirt and a free clinic to learn the game.
One of the unique characteristics is that all of the fields can be used for both baseball and softball. Naturally the bases can be moved. But they also have portable mounds and fences to create the appropriate dimension for each type of game.
Joe shared some stats:
- 1900+ games played so far with 600 more coming this fall
- 400+ practices hosted so far
- Hosted 18 youth baseball and softball tournaments with 10 more tournaments this fall
- Hosted 1000+ youth teams
- Hosted teams from NE, KS, MO, SD, CO, IA, IN, OK, TX, CA, NV, WA, OR, ID, VA, OH, MN, WY, ND
- 4 days of free kid’s baseball/softball camps in partnership with NWU and the Community Learning Centers
- 2 free softball camps this fall with Jordy Bahl and other Husker softball players
- Hosted Special Olympics State Tournament
- Employed 5 full time positions and 62 part time positions
- Thousands of smiles!
Joe said that the first year they were able to accommodate every request. But, now that people have become familiar with the complex he is sure that there will be more requests than they can fill in the future.
When asked what prompted the development of the complex - if there was a shortage of fields in Lincoln - Joe responded that there was a shortage of quality fields. There are many around Lincoln but you may need to travel between fields for a weekend tournament. Also, with these being in a single complex, there is ongoing, maintenance of the same level on all of them. That is difficult for the city to handle with fields located in all areas of the City. The artificial turf makes them more useful as they do not need to cancel events due to rain like natural turf
Joe shared a little about the concessions which they run. He said they offer high-end food. Last year they sold 27,000 walking tacos. Concessions are an important part of the business plan for the complex.