SHENANGO, PA. Construction nears for Pennsylvania facility

The indoor facility will provide a variety of sports for children and adults.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
SHENANGO, Pa. -- A new indoor sports facility is under construction in Shenango Township near the intersection of Routes 422 and 388, about 2 miles east of New Castle.
A company called 3H Sports, based in New Castle, is preparing to construct a multi-sport, multi-function air-supported bubble that will be called Hitters, Hackers and Hoops, and which will have artificial turf for playing fields and a court which can be used for a wide variety of sports.
Dimensions
The 50,000 square-foot air bubble, with dimensions of 120-by-240 feet, will be attached to two permanent buildings that will be used for batting cages, concessions, and party and video rooms.
Excavation of the site and the setting of the foundation is nearing completion, and the bubble is expected to be constructed around mid-November and the facility will be opened for business in mid-December.
"You could use the turf for one sport and the court for basketball and volleyball," said Pat Quahliero, president of 3H Sports and one of eight investors in the facility.
The other investors are Brian Greer, vice president; Chris Quahliero, Pat's brother, secretary and construction manager; cousin John Quahliero and Mark Mastrangelo, Ralph Litrenta, Brian Heichel and P.J. Micaletti. All of the investors are from New Castle area.
Pat Quahliero is a certified financial planner with American Express, while Greer is with American Express corporate sales and Chris Quahliero is the former owner of the Pointe Grille restaurant.
Variety of sports
Pat Quahliero said the facility will provide leagues and tournaments for children and adults in soccer, baseball, softball, flag football, touch football, basketball, volleyball, tennis and for any other sport which could be fit into the facility. Also planned is an indoor golf driving range. The court will be all-purpose for volleyball, tennis and basketball.
There also will be personal instruction in each sport by skilled athletes.
Quahliero said the company hopes to market the facility throughout Northeastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania and capitalize on the fact that it will be a multi-functional facility.
"The interest we have got so far is for youth baseball and girls fast pitch softball," said Quahliero, noting that modifications can be made to rules and dimensions to allow most any sport to be played in the facility.
Regarding flag and touch football for men and women, "We're going to offer it. It is popular in the area," he said.
"I've signed up with the NFL Youth Flag Football League that is tied to the Boomer Esiason [Cystic Fibrosis] Foundation. It is for boys and girls [ages] 8-14," he explained.
"We're not going to start a youth soccer league until after the first of the year," he said. "We are sponsoring a national women's soccer amateur league that has 22 teams, 18 of them from the West."
XRegistration of players and teams for various sports already is underway. To register or obtain more information, call 724-924-9880.
kovach@vindy.com