When Gary Oliver was a high school and college coach, he said about 150 athletes would try out for basketball, but coaches could only keep 30 of those children, cutting 120 athletes. This made Oliver want to create an opportunity for them to be part of a team.

In 2001, Oliver said he envisioned a place where every athlete can play.

“Most athletes, 90 percent are recreational athletes. We’re not going to go play in the NBA or the NFL, so why not start a facility where kids can come, they can register and make a team?” Oliver said. “What we wanted was a place where everyone can play, everyone can make a team regardless of your athletic ability.”

That place is Fieldhouse USA.

Fieldhouse USA, located at 6155 Sports Village Road, opened in Frisco in March 2009 and is a community-based facility where youth can register for several sports, including volleyball, basketball, cheerleading and soccer, year-round.

The facility also offers registration for adults to play intramural sports or take part in performance fitness training. Some professional athletes also train at Fieldhouse USA.

Oliver, who is co-owner and CEO, and his business partner, Terry Casey, began working on the project in Frisco in 2006 and completed it by 2009.

Oliver said although the facility hosts tournaments in which the top teams in the United States come to play, the majority of participants—90 to 99 percent—are children in recreational sports that want to be active and involved.

Oliver said the facility has received such great feedback from visiting teams that other cities have called him asking for a Fieldhouse USA in their communities.

“What’s great now is that we’ve been open 6 1/2 years, and we’ve started construction on two new facilities, one in Mansfield, Texas and one in Council Bluffs, Iowa,” Oliver said. “Our goal is to have 10 of these facilities in the next five years.”

With the new locations, the Frisco location will serve as the company headquarters.   

Oliver said Fieldhouse USA is a supporter of the community and is one of the largest sports camps in the Metroplex that brings in events and tournaments.

“When we bring events and tournaments, that brings in economic dollars for the city of Frisco,” he said.

This past year, Fieldhouse USA generated more than $14 million to Frisco in sales tax revenue, Oliver said.

With the growing sports industry in Frisco, Oliver said he is glad Fieldhouse USA can contribute to Frisco’s growth.

“We’re beginning that sports phenomenon in kids,” Oliver said. “At some point playing sports [can become] a living and gets away from the fun aspect, and we’re all about the fun.”