In Stafford County, a new nonprofit sports facility is stepping up to the plate with a mission that goes beyond wins and losses.
Champion Sportsplex aims to fill a longstanding gap for local sports families. While Stafford has long supported leagues and travel teams, indoor spaces for athletes to practice, train, and develop skills outside of organized schedules have been limited.
Located on Centreport Parkway near the county’s airport, the facility offers baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, and speed-and-agility training. Its mission places as much emphasis on accessibility and community as it does on athletics.
“We don’t want to leave any kid out of the program,” owner Israel Hidalgo said. “If parents can’t afford it, or a kid can’t buy a uniform, we always say there’s no reason they shouldn’t be playing.”
For Baseball Program Director Justin Doyle, the project is personal.
“I live nine minutes away. I grew up nine minutes away,” Doyle said. “Being from Stafford and coming back — it just means a lot to me.”
A Stafford County firefighter and former Colonial Forge High School and Radford University baseball player, Doyle joined the project earlier this year after his father connected him with Hidalgo and the facility’s ownership team.
“We’re finally at a point logistically where we can say, ‘Alright, let’s go,’” Doyle said. “I’ve only been here since January, so the baseball program is very new.”
The baseball and softball programs currently offer instruction in hitting, pitching, and fielding, with summer camps launching soon. But Doyle said the vision extends far beyond private lessons.
“This isn’t really a field house — it’s more of a training facility with options,” Doyle said. “Basically, whatever someone needs, we’re trying to build a place they can find it.”
That includes batting cage rentals for families seeking extra repetitions outside traditional practices — an opportunity Doyle said has been hard to find locally.
“One of the biggest things we kept hearing from parents is they don’t have anywhere to go practice,” Doyle said. “You take an hour of hitting, and it really turns into 15 minutes because you’re chasing balls the entire time.”
The facility is also designed to serve beginners and recreational athletes, not just advanced travel players.
“If a kid wants to get better, they can come here and get better — no matter what level they’re at,” Doyle said. “If they just want to have fun and find a group, that’s great. If they want to take the next step, that’s here too.”
Hidalgo said that inclusiveness remains one of the organization’s core principles.
“We want kids to feel accepted here and feel like they belong,” Hidalgo said. “Kids know when a place is genuine.”
The nonprofit structure enables Champion Sportsplex to pursue sponsorships and scholarships for families who might otherwise be priced out of youth sports.
“A lot of times, if kids aren’t involved in activities, they can end up headed toward trouble,” Hidalgo said. “The main thing is using sports to build character and help kids become good human beings.”
Both men said the response from local families has confirmed Stafford County was ready for a facility like this.
“Everyone who walks in says, ‘This is awesome. We needed this,’” Hidalgo said.
For Doyle, the mission remains straightforward.
“The biggest thing for me is keeping it where anybody and everybody can come in here,” he said. “We want this to be a central place where everyone has access.”
