Few states can rival Massachusetts’ esteemed history.
Admitted to the Union in 1788 (the sixth state to do so), Massachusetts is known for being the landing place of the Mayflower and the Pilgrims, and has hosted such noted historical events as the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party.
In the sporting realm, Massachusetts also takes a back seat to no one, as it has been home to legendary athletes Ted Williams, Bill Russell, Bobby Orr and Larry Bird, to name a few. While Massachusetts’ sports traditions are unrivaled, the state is hardly sitting on its laurels. As time advances, the Bay State is at the forefront of the modern sports complex evolution.
Here are some impressive sports venues that recently debuted or are on the cusp of opening their doors.
Cape Cod Total Athletics
Located in Barnstable, 70 miles southeast of Boston, Total Athletics is a sports and recreational facility that enables athletes to train year-round. Offering a dual-design concept, the athletic and training facility is anchored with one ice hockey rink, one indoor turf field, two outdoor athletic fields and a state-of-the-art athlete training center. With soccer, field hockey and ice hockey camps, Total Athletics is open regardless of weather.
Edge Sports Center
With an annual attendance of more than 575,000, the Edge Sports Center in Bedford, 20 miles northwest of Boston, is one of the premier facilities in Massachusetts. The year-round athletic complex features two ice hockey rinks and two outdoor turf athletic fields. The center’s ice rinks host more than 5,000 adult and youth hockey players while also providing public skating and skating programs.
Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center
This $18-million private recreational facility in Worcester, approximately 40 miles west of Boston, offers twin ice rinks, strength training and physical therapy centers. The venue is the home practice facility for the Worcester Railers hockey club, a professional ice hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League, and hosts several colleges, high schools and youth hockey organizations.
Game On Sports and Performance Complex
Arriving in 2018, this center in Fitchburg, 47 miles northwest of Boston, will be a hub for sports programs, player development, training and community recreation. Game On’s indoor facility will feature three turf fields for soccer, lacrosse and field hockey, three basketball and volleyball courts and a 4,000-square-foot fitness and sports performance center. The outdoor complex will contain seven lighted turf fields, two grass lighted outdoor fields and 2,000 square feet of meeting space.
New England Sports Center
This indoor facility in Marlborough, 31 miles west of Boston, is home to six full-sized rinks, with two more being built in fall 2017 and one studio rink, making it the largest indoor skating venue in North America with 218,000 square feet of rink space. New England Sports Center also has a sizable number of heated viewing areas totaling 35,000 square feet.
New England Sports Village
Opened in early 2017 in Attleboro, 10 miles west of Providence, the New England Sports Village is an ongoing $53-million project on 140 acres of land. The first phase of the village is a hockey facility featuring more than 100,000 square feet and containing two regulation rinks. Phase two includes construction of a 52,000-square-foot aquatics center containing an Olympic-sized 10-lane, 50-meter pool, two warmup pools and outdoor recreational pools. Also on the docket is a wellness center containing 12 tennis courts, a physical therapy clinic and a spa, and the building of a 110,000-square-foot, multi-sport field house.
The Mill Works
A health, wellness and education sports performance center, The Mill Works resides in Westford, 35 miles northwest of Boston. The venue is family-oriented and features six hardwood basketball, volleyball and futsal courts, four-square courts and pickleball courts. It also provides a fitness center, strength and agility classes, yoga classes and league play.
