PLAINFIELD, Ill., July 2, 2012 — Anthony Davis was the number one pick in the 2012 National Basketball Association draft. Undoubtedly, Davis benefitted from playing in excellent facilities where he sharpened his skills and his basketball dreams took shape. As a youngster, Bill Leach dreamed of being a professional basketball player. Though he never achieved that goal, Leach plans to turn hoop dreams into a reality for today's players by launching a fundraising campaign to renovate an existing barn into a $2.5 million state-of-the-art facility — known as the Premiere Hoops Sports Complex — and open it by June 2013.
"We've just started seeking donations but we've been chasing this dream for quite some time," said Leach, who graduated with a degree in recreation from Illinois State University, where he played on the basketball team. For the past 11 years he has been running men's fantasy basketball leagues.
More Americans play basketball than any other team sport, according to the National Sporting Goods Association. With the Greater Chicago Area a hotbed of athletic talent, Leach knows that an ultramodern complex catering to basketball-hungry hoopsters offers avenues currently unavailable for many local players.
"Basketball is just a way of life around here," said Leach. "We're trying to capitalize on that. This area is family-oriented with a bunch of kids and hard-working people, but they don't have any facilities to play basketball and indoor sports. We have a local recreation department that doesn't even have its own building, so a project like this will be greatly supported."
Leach envisions the Premiere Hoops Sports Complex as a cutting-edge gymnasium with over 36,000 square feet of playing space, featuring two NBA-size basketball courts, two regulation-sized volleyball courts, a fitness center, sports bar, pro shop and party rooms. It will be a facility where basketball and volleyball programs will be available for all ages and all levels, from elementary school and high school to college and even professional players. Plans for the project are outlined in detail online at http://www.premierehoops.com, where visitors can take a virtual tour of the proposed facility.
The complex will generate income from rental fees and from family, team, high school, college and professional memberships. A daily drop-in rate also will be available. "Now players can pay a small fee and have the NBA basketball experience," said Leach.
Firmly committed to his goal of building the Premiere Hoops Sports Complex, Leach knows this will be a place players will be able to get the support they need. "We can help kids get scholarships to college," he said. "I'm sure with the talent pool around here that one or two of them can make it to the pros."
To make a donation to the Premiere Hoops Sports Complex, go to: http://www.rockethub.com/projects/8626-campaign-to-launch-premiere-hoops.
Contact:
Bill Leach
Premiere Hoops Inc
2314 Route 59, Suite 118
Plainfield, IL 60586
815-260-7106
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