The Lubbock Youth Sports Complex Will Be Renamed in Honor of Former Mayor Tom Martin

This sports complex covers an area of 151 acres in Lubbock, Texas, and offers sporting facilities like a baseball court.

Tournaments draw players and spectators who spend money at local hotels – revenue which then returns to Visit Lubbock via Hotel Occupancy Tax funds.

Tom Martin fields are equipped with FieldTurf, an artificial mix of natural and synthetic turf recommended by FIFA. Additionally, they include team lounges, coach offices, and training facilities.

Baseball

Lubbock Youth Sports Complex baseball fields will be renamed in honor of former Mayor Thomas Martin, who died last month. Martin served on both City Council and as mayor for two terms and was widely credited with championing its creation; its current location lies between FM 1585 and Milwaukee Avenue. A formal dedication ceremony will be held Monday.

Lubbock is a hub for baseball and softball enthusiasts with numerous facilities dedicated to both games, including Berl Huffman Athletic Complex, Dan Law Field at Texas Tech University’s Rocky Johnson Softball Stadium, Hodges Park, Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, and numerous area high schools offering programs. Furthermore, Lubbock Sports Academy provides private baseball/softball lessons/camps.

Lubbock Youth Sports Complex opened in 2007 under the oversight of the Lubbock Parks and Recreation Department. This 151-acre complex includes three entrance/exit roads off Loop 289, food truck areas, new fencing, a water-saving irrigation system that uses recycled water, as well as multiple parking spaces per field to accommodate various sporting events, including soccer, rugby, field hockey and Punt, Pass and Kick competitions.

Youth Sports Complex’s Challenger Division provides an exceptional experience for developmentally and physically disabled children, organizing teams based on ability rather than age to accommodate tee ball, coach pitch, or player pitch games.

Lubbock offers great outdoor facilities as well as excellent indoor sports venues, like its Pete Ragus Aquatic Center, which is ideal for swim and diving meets. It features two eight-lane pools, three one-meter boards at its center diving well, Colorado Timing System timing capabilities, and three locker rooms – plus a state-of-the-art scoreboard.

Hotel rooms provide ample space for tournaments and expos in Lubbock. Visitors can select from 6,400 hotel rooms at various price points and service levels; additionally, there is a range of restaurants that cater to large groups. Furthermore, the Downtown Lubbock District features live music performances, shopping venues, museums, and an active craft beer scene.

Softball

Lubbock Youth Sports Complex features several softball fields equipped with lights, clay infield, and covered dugouts – plus it has a concession building with restrooms nearby! Located at FM 1585 and Milwaukee Avenue.

The field is an ideal setting for tournaments. Lubbock’s parks and recreation department offers various youth-centric events throughout the year, such as fall leagues for tee-ballers, coach pitch, and player pitch players. These tournaments often attract large audiences; participants even come from outside Lubbock to participate!

Softball has seen dramatic growth as a sport for women over recent years. Today, there are over 7.7 million slow-pitch softball participants in the US versus 5 million for fast-pitch. Slow-pitch participation increased nearly 20 percent between 2009 and 2014 among girls aged 25-44 years old, the fastest growing segment.

Lubbock offers several great places for sports, including the Berl Huffman Athletic Complex, which opened in spring 2020. This state-of-the-art venue can host nearly every flat field-oriented activity- soccer, rugby, Ultimate, and lacrosse – as well as football and lacrosse!

Southside Sports Complex provides another fantastic venue with 12 natural grass softball fields. Eight are dedicated exclusively to girls’ fast-pitch softball, while four can be converted for either girls’ or boys’ slow-pitch softball. Each area boasts lights and clay infields; public restrooms are located on each quadrant of this venue.

The Sports Complex in north Lubbock provides athletes from across Texas and beyond an ideal destination. Just five minutes from downtown and 11 from Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport – which services three major airlines – the complex also provides ample parking and food truck areas that enable event organizers to bring large crowds quickly.

City residents also take pride in hosting the Challenger division of Little League, which gives developmentally and physically disabled children an opportunity to play baseball alongside their peers and develop life skills and self-confidence while doing so.

Soccer

Lubbock is unquestionably an epicenter for soccer in Texas. From local school district tournaments and 3v3 events to Texas Tech UIL and West Texas soccer invitationals, Lubbock serves as host for premier events featuring first-class facilities and warm hospitality.

The Berl Huffman Athletic Complex provides a soccer oasis featuring 293,562 square feet of Matrix(tm) Real M synthetic turf from FieldTurf that’s FIFA-approved and designed to meet both player and spectator demands. Plus, GMAX drain pads with Ecotherm(tm) infill ensure maximum safety and durability, providing a natural playing experience while providing safe drainage from spillover.

There is also a separate practice pitch available and lighting throughout. Additionally, this facility includes a clubhouse/concession area, two large press boxes, a warming room, a scoreboard, and spacious spectator areas with shaded seating for spectators, as well as covered bleacher seating for coaches. Furthermore, their moveable goals can easily adjust for different game formats, making the fields suitable for events of various kinds and designs.

The new complex is conveniently located just minutes from downtown Lubbock and Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, serving three significant airlines. Furthermore, Lubbock boasts five major highways for easy travel for sports-minded visitors looking to experience everything Lubbock has to offer.

Locals believe the upgraded fields will increase competitiveness among teams and attract visitors to the region, while officials at Market Lubbock – who is funding this project – agree. “These fields will be world-class,” stated Market Lubbock’s CEO and president. Lubbock will benefit greatly from having these new fields as they will attract young families looking to settle here while expanding workforce numbers. Lubbock Tourism Office is also enthusiastic about these fields as they will enhance the area’s reputation as a destination for both small and large soccer events, providing another layer of excitement and community pride surrounding soccer in Lubbock beyond just baseball/softball facilities and baseball/softball fields. Lubbock boasts top venues for track & field, soccer, basketball/football/volleyball.

Lacrosse

The sports complex located at FM 1585 and Milwaukee Avenue will soon bear his name – as announced during a vote held Tuesday by City Council members. Martin was instrumental in developing and opening up this facility, as well as serving on the City Council and as a longtime lawman. Following their vote on Tuesday, it will now be known as Thomas A. Martin Youth Sports Complex.

The 151-acre sports complex features multiple fields that can be reconfigured to suit different events, each quad featuring a concessions building with public restrooms and bleacher seating for covered bleacher seating. Furthermore, this facility includes an irrigation system, food truck areas, and an extensive parking system. Now, its name honors late Mayor Dewey as part of her legacy of supporting youth sports and recreation in Lubbock.

Lacrosse has long been popular in America, but its revival in Texas is relatively recent. According to PAC research, over 1.6 million lacrosse participants aged six and up now participate across the US; male players make up the vast majority of participants, but girls’ and women’s participation rates are on the rise.

Jordan Adkins of Dallas and his mother, Jana, share a vision for lacrosse in Lubbock. They hope to build a local league and eventually have it accepted by UIL, believing Lubbock to be the ideal city in which to do it.

In 1973, three college students from the University of Texas began developing lacrosse. Don Carnes, Bob Daigh, and Kelly Anderson formed the initial lacrosse team while living in Moore Hill Dormitory; these three then recruited other student-athletes as players.

In 1995, this team won its conference championship and established itself as an imposing force in both club and collegiate divisions. Their achievements included defeating several teams already honored with induction into the Hall of Fame – including San Antonio LC and Tulane LC.