Sports Pavilion Lawrence, 100 Rock Chalk Lane

Walking into Sports Pavilion Lawrence on a tournament day, the energy filling the facility is invigorating. The building echoes with a buzz of crowds, kids and competition, accompanied by a light percussion in the rhythm of athletic shoes hitting the floor.

The facility, open for a year and a half this April, is free to Douglas County residents. That eliminates at least a few excuses to skip out on activity or workouts — but are you using it? Here’s everything you need to get started:

How to get your pass

A youth soccer competition takes place inside the indoor soccer/sports arena on March 5 at Sports Pavilion Lawrence.

If you bring your driver’s license or proof that you live in Douglas County, such as a homeowner’s insurance policy, vehicle registration or lease document, the people at the front counter will set you up with a key fob. That key will give you access to all the facility’s amenities, including the weight room, cardio equipment and track.

Since it opened in October 2014, SPL has given out more than 28,000 key fobs, according to Chad Tower, facility operations supervisor.

Visitors from out of town can purchase short-term passes, ranging from a day pass for $5 all the way up to an annual pass for $150.

What you can do with it

The massive, 181,000-square-foot facility is home to eight basketball courts; three cross-court soccer fields, or one large one; eight tennis courts; a gymnastics area for kids, along with a party room that parents can rent; a weightlifting area; a 1/8-mile track and a variety of cardio equipment.

A large gymnastics room provides equipment and activities for families at Sports Pavilion Lawrence.

The many courts are home to tournaments nearly every weekend, Tower said. The events bring in a lot of people from out of town, which means tourism that has economic benefits for the city. There are also adult recreational leagues.

Tower said the popularity of the track has been one of the biggest surprises. He said many people come to walk, jog or run, particularly when it’s cold out — and some seniors have made it a group activity.

“It’s exercise, but it’s also been a social thing, which is very good,” Tower said. “We built the place for people to come and utilize it, and people are taking advantage of it.”

The weights area, Tower said, has good equipment for everyone ranging from beginners to advanced lifters.

The cardio area has a range of equipment available: treadmills, elliptical machines, upright bikes, recumbent bikes, StepMill and NuStep. It gets busy, though.

Lawrence residents Clark and Marie Talley walk on the indoor track at the Lawrence Sports Pavilion.

“A lot of times you come in here and every piece of cardio is being used and there’s people waiting to get on there,” Tower said.

He said people are generally friendly and helpful, and newcomers can always ask the folks at the front counter if they need help with anything.

The key fob also provides access to the inside door for Lawrence Memorial Hospital’s Performance and Wellness Center.

Adam Rolf, doctor of physical therapy and certified strength and conditioning specialist with LMH, said the center offers classes for athletes ranging from second grade all the way up to varsity, or high school-aged, students. Professionals at the center work with young athletes to improve their speed, agility, strength, power and performance.

“Our role is to help physically get you prepared and to improve your skills as an athlete,” Rolf said, “but then your job as an athlete is to continue to develop your skill for your sport.”

Training is all by appointment, and ranges from the individual level to small groups. Rolf said classes start periodically throughout the year. Information about classes is available at lmh.org/wellness/events in the category of Sports Performance.

“We really try to help bridge that gap for kids to be able to do what their coach wants them to do on the field,” Rolf said.

The center also offers four levels of tai chi classes geared toward seniors, which can help improve balance and reduce stress.

Up for al fresco?

Outside the building to the northwest, there are about 5 miles of trails, Tower said. Maps of the trails are available at the front counter.

The Crimson Corner Market is operated by the Clinton Parkway Hy-Vee and has a variety of sandwiches, wraps, fruit, salads and many other items at Sports Pavilion Lawrence.

Grab a bite

During tournament weekends and when there are games on weeknight evenings, the Crimson Corner Market is open for business. Tower said more than half of the options the large concession stand offers meet the city’s standards for nutritional foods.

As an example, Tower said, for every hot dog that’s served, there’s a healthy wrap available as well.

“They do a great job, and everybody’s just blown away by the many choices that we have,” Tower said.

What’s coming up

SPL offers classes all year round, Tower said, and the next catalog of everything that’s available is coming out in April.

How and when to get there

Sports Pavilion Lawrence is at View Map“>100 Rock Chalk Lane, tucked away north of Sixth Street along George Williams Way. From the south side of town, it’s a quick trip up the South Lawrence Trafficway.

It’s the northernmost building within the large parking lot it shares with Rock Chalk Park, the home of Kansas University’s track, soccer, softball and, soon, indoor tennis facility. Parking is pretty good, Tower said, because so far the busy seasons for both facilities are opposite each other: SPL in fall and winter, RCP in spring and summer.

There are free lockers available near the weights area where guests can leave their belongings. There are no locker rooms, but there are changing rooms with showers, Tower said.