The owners of the Fox Soccer Academy have officially announced the name and opening season of their newest location. The Hudson Sports Complex, formerly The Yard Sports Village in Warwick, NY will be open for business in January 2019. The exact grand opening date and details will be announced shortly.
The indoor and outdoor sports and recreation complex, located at 122 State School Rd. in the former Orange County Mid-Correctional Facility, will provide such services as individual and group skills and strength training as well as space for team practices and games and tournaments for soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, baseball and football.
Owners Christian and Raluca Fuchs plan to focus on professional, quality training, bringing in athletes, trainers, and coaches from all over the world.
“We are super excited to have this opportunity to get this up and running and are very much looking forward to what this brings. We have been looking for a long time, and it’s great that we found a property in Warwick,” said Christian Fuchs, English Premier League player for Leicester City, who, with his wife, owns several other Academy locations in New York and also Europe.
“One of our main selling points is our connections to Europe in places such as Austria and the United Kingdom where we have great channels and great talents, and now, here in New York, the venues to provide quality training,” commented Fuchs, who has played over 412 games across the Bundesliga, Premier League and Champions League spanning over 14 seasons.
He also captained and played 78 games for the Austrian National Team, which include UEFA Euros and FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. In 2016, Fuchs won the Premier League with Leicester City, as the starting Left-Back, according to the Fox Soccer Academy website.
With world class quality at the forefront, the Hudson Sports Complex owners say that their priorities also include active community involvement and accessibility for boys and girls of all ages and levels.
“We want to establish a feeling of community so everyone feels included, everyone has a pleasurable time, and everyone wants to come back. They should be a part of our family, not outsiders who just pay their fees and leave,” said Raluca.
Fox Soccer Academy CEO Erik Stover adds that the company has made efforts to contract local folks to tackle such monster renovation projects as well as basic services like plumbing, heating, and painting.
“Part of our job here is to support the community and bring a positive economic impact to the region,” he said of the more than 35 acre lot.
Hudson Sports closed on the property, a bankruptcy sale, on Nov. 27. Warwick Town Supervisor Michael Sweeton is optimistic about the newest addition to the Hudson Valley.
“Having this facility, with the caliber of the new owners, will make this the premier sports/training facility on the East Coast. It will draw families who will spend time exploring our pristine valley with its many dining, shopping and agri-tourism opportunities which will have a positive effect on our local business. Our B&Bs will benefit and we may also now be able to attract a hotel or two,” said Sweeton.
While the complex will primarily be centered around field sports such as soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse in the beginning stages of the business plan, the owners say they will expand to all sports and wellness activities such as CrossFit, Yoga, Spin, and Pilates, as well as developing an eSports hub.
“We definitely have enough indoor and outdoor space, and we look forward to being the go-to place for sports and entertainment. The possibilities are endless,” said Raluca, who is both fascinated by the property’s history and inspired by its future.
Supervisor Sweeton highlighted the historical aspects of the expansive site.
“The location of the sports complex is in the center of this amazing 733 acre public/private space. Its rich history as a school for troubled boys gives it a campus like feeling that as we develop we hope we can maintain. The sports complex which will attract youth from all over the regional area is a perfect fit that will bring families to our area, boosting our local economy,” Sweeton said.
Fuchs was inspired to create Fox Soccer Academy when he was searching for a soccer training organization in the City. The high prices and unimpressive staff of many groups left the concerned athletic parent wanting. Fuchs opened the first Fox Soccer Academy in 2014.
When he is not traveling, Christian Fuchs is a hands-on and present tour de force as he runs sports clinics and trainings at his Soccer Academy locations. He has residences in Pine Plains, NY and Manhattan with Raluca and their three children.
“Christian started this company because of his son, and it is now continuing in the same tradition of family, quality, and professionalism,” said Stover, who, according to his employers, has been “an integral, invaluable, and knowledgeable player in this business venture.”
Stover has 24 years of experience managing large complexes like the Red Bull Arena and the Meadowlands Sports Complex.
The original version of this article appeared on Warwick Valley Dispatch:
http://www.wvdispatch.com/news/hudson-sports-complex-to-open-its-doors-in-january/