COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – A new downtown Columbia sports facility aims to give Midlands athletes a place to train and play closer to home.
Columbia resident Sydney Valandingham set out to create a space where boys and girls of all ages can enjoy sports. The Cola Sports Complex was developed with a focus on soccer and is designed around three spaces:
- An 11,000-square-foot open turf area for training and sports.
- A 120-by-60-foot walled indoor soccer field.
- A 3,500-square-foot gym for fitness and performance training.
Valandingham said the downtown location offers a training space near the university and surrounding communities. Access is also available to the interstate for people traveling from other areas in the Midlands.
“Most of our soccer areas are out in the northeast or they’re out in Irmo or they’re far out in Lexington,” Valandingham said. “So there’s nowhere in this area that’s a consistent space to train. We love being close to the university. We love being close to the downtown area.”…