How a Youth Sports Organization Built a Multi-Sport Facility That Never Closes
Danielle Jakopovic ran flag football, basketball, and soccer programs through Elkhorn Elite Youth Sports Association. But the softball setup wasn't cutting it — and Nebraska weather wasn't helping.
So she built something better: a 6,000-square-foot indoor training center with 24/7 access, climate control, and enough flexibility to run multiple sports at once.
Here's how we helped make it happen.
The Challenge
Youth sports programs live and die by practice time. When you're competing for gym space, dodging weather cancellations, and juggling multiple teams across multiple sports, you need a facility that works as hard as you do.
Danielle needed:
- Year-round access regardless of weather
- Space for softball, soccer, and other sports to train simultaneously
- A layout flexible enough to shift from team practice to individual training
- Equipment that could take a beating from youth athletes
The Build
We designed a dual-ShellCage system that transforms from wide-open team space to isolated training lanes in minutes.
ShellCage #1 — 70' L × 30' W × 14' H
- #48 gauge black nylon netting (knotted, square mesh)
- Fixed divider curtain at 15' creating two 70' × 15' lanes
- Sliding exterior wall connects to ShellCage #2
- Ceiling baffles to keep balls from jumping curtains
- Two entry doors with flaps
ShellCage #2 — 60' L × 38' W × 14' H
- #48 gauge black nylon netting (knotted, square mesh)
- Sliding exterior wall connects to ShellCage #1
- Ceiling baffles
- Two entry doors with flaps
Protection & Finishing
- NetShield panels: 38' × 14' end cap, plus multiple 60' and 70' ceiling strips
- White mesh on top two feet for visibility
- Triple Play 34 oz Artificial Turf
- Full installation package (netting, hardware, labor)
How It Works
The sliding nets and divider curtains let the space adapt to whatever's on the schedule. Need three isolated batting tunnels? Done. Need one big open area for team drills? Slide the walls open. Soccer team needs the quad area while softball runs hitting stations? No problem.
Bad weather doesn't cancel practice anymore. Neither does a scheduling conflict with the school gym.
Why This Project Worked
Danielle knew what she needed but didn't want to micromanage the details. She outlined her requirements — year-round access, multi-sport flexibility, room to grow — and handed over the reins.
We handled the design, the product selection, and the install. Questions got answered fast. The installation was quick and clean.
That's the model: you tell us what you're trying to accomplish, we figure out how to build it.
See the Softball Training Facility for Yourself
Straight from Danielle
"It was nice to connect with Practice Sports and say 'This is what we need' and we had that trust with them... they created this amazing space for our players."
"The customer service we've received throughout this process has been wonderful."
— Danielle Jakopovic, Elkhorn Elite Youth Sports Association
Planning Your Own Training Center?
Whether you're a youth organization, a school, or a private facility, we'd love to hear what you're working on.
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