Marin County has finally found a centralized sports facility: Sky Sports, located in San Rafael. After completing construction in 2017, the building has begun to reach its full potential and is filled with tenants from several sports. The complex has several aspects, including a baseball facility, which is home to Marin Baseball and Redwood Baseball training, a rock climbing gym, a soccer field and a volleyball facility, which is home to the Marin Juniors Volleyball Club. These sports have been inside the facility for months, but the latest addition is a brand new pickleball club named Flyte.
Robert Herbst, general manager of Sky Sports, explained the evolution of the sports complex since its opening, including the newest addition of pickleball to the facility.
“We’re really trying to create something that has not been done in Marin up to this point with pickleball on the rise,” Herbst said. “Having the option to play indoors or outdoors is so valuable depending on the weather and time of day as the indoor courts are lighted.”
While the facility is 85,000 square feet, the place is always looking to expand, seeing that there is no shortage of room. With the first indoor pickleball courts in Marin County, along with outdoor pickleball and tennis courts, one can choose where they would like to play on a day-by-day basis. In the future, the racquet club will add padel, a racket sport popular in Europe.
On the opening day of the club, Flyte hosted a pickleball tournament. Chris Tsimiskas, who is the San Rafael Airport Manager, has played a major role in the process of enhancing Sky Sports and has been content to see it succeed.
“Flyte has all the amenities that you would find at a private racquet club, but it is set up and designed for pickleball as it is more of a social sport. People seemed to really enjoy what we had to offer because out of the 130 people that came to the opening tournament, 80 people bought memberships,” Tsimikas said.
In addition to athletics, Sky Sports is filling more open space with a gym and therapy rooms. These spaces are meant to be used by parents when their children are playing sports, with medical practitioners always on hand. Furthermore, a brand new restaurant will be built above all of these sports areas on the second floor.
“In the summer of 2024 we are hoping to have the restaurant open to the public. Victor Viera, head chef of the old Terrapin Crossroads and owner of Golden Gate Bistro, will be the head chef for the restaurant,” Herbst said.
With all of the finishing touches being added to Sky Sports, Marin County now has more to offer within athletics as
there is a centralized place for both youth and adults to practice sports as well as relax and dine. People can always visit the rock climbing gym and if one wants to become a member or book a court at the racquet club, they can visit their website at Flyte Racquet Club.
“We are extremely excited for what the future holds, but in the meantime, we are just trying to do the best we can in being there for the community,” Tsimikas said.
