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Wellington Athletics says new sports complex is nearly ready, outlines programs and opening schedule
Summary
Operator John Bostick told the Village of Wellington council the Wellington Athletics & Wellington Sports Academy facility is largely finished, with key spaces opening this spring; staff outlined membership pricing, student counts, scholarships and plans to bring on a management company later this year.
The operator of the Wellington Athletics and Wellington Sports Academy told the Village of Wellington during an agenda‑review workshop on Feb. 23 that much of the new complex is complete and staff expect to open core fitness and training spaces to the public in April.
At the workshop, John Bostick, introduced by staff as the academy representative, walked council members through photos of the exterior, front reception, a newly approved kitchen and four locker rooms that include steam, sauna and hot/cold tubs. “We—weexcited to finally get this thing ready to to, open, you know, in the next couple weeks,” Bostick said during his presentation.
Why it matters: the facility combines tournament courts, training spaces, a kitchen/cafe and classroom/meeting rooms intended to support both travel‑sports programming and an educational component. Council members pressed staff for specifics about the academy—ducation program, student counts and scholarship funding, saying they need a fuller operational picture before finalizing any long‑term agreements.
What officials said: staff and Bostick provided a timeline for remaining work: general‑fitness flooring is scheduled to start March 16 and finish within about 10 days; weights and equipment are expected to arrive April 6 with installation taking four to five days; staff said they plan to open the fitness area to the public in the second week of April. A separate space on the building—sideis expected to be completed by May 2026.
On programming and students, presenters displayed a slide showing roughly 95 students who attend school solely at the academy and additional travel‑sports participants. Bostick described a postgraduate program he said helps athletes extend development and exposure to college coaches. He also said the volleyball program serves about 125 girls and roughly 50 boys and reported that about 82% of participants live in Wellington.
Scholarships and community access: Bostick said his foundation sponsors scholarships and indicated the program had awarded scholarship funding in the first year "in the couple 100 thousands," though council members asked for a clearer numeric accounting of total scholarship dollars and counts.
Facilities and equipment: the presentation highlighted pro‑level equipment, including Sorinex racks and a specialized pitching machine that the presenter said is typically sold only to Major League Baseball teams and had a very high cost. Bostick said the academy will host clinics and free community events and intends to use classrooms and meeting rooms for tutoring, film review and community programs.
What remains unresolved: council members requested a follow‑up briefing on curriculum, who will teach the school component, student enrollment mechanics and capacity limits for student‑athletes versus day‑use athletes. Staff said the management company SFA is planned to come on in the fourth quarter after construction and operational milestones are met.
Next steps: staff and the operator agreed to return with more detailed operational, curriculum and financial data at upcoming meetings so council members can review how the educational and athletics components will function together.
