Ten years ago, the Triangle SportsPlex in Hillsborough was struggling to stay afloat. Old members were leaving, new ones weren’t coming in, and there was no reason to believe the trend would change.

Today, the SportsPlex – now the Orange County SportsPlex, under new management as a public-private partnership – is thriving, with more than 700,000 visitors each year (more than any other venue in Orange County except the Smith Center) and nearly six thousand members, more than six times as many as it had a decade ago. The SportsPlex offers a fitness center, a pool, an ice rink, and more. (The ice rink is home to three college teams – UNC, Duke, and Elon.)

John Stock is the executive director and general manager of the SportsPlex. He spoke this week with WCHL’s Aaron Keck.

 

This Friday, December 11, the SportsPlex will mark its 10-year anniversary with a plaque dedication, free skate and swim sessions, and more. The event begins at 11:30 a.m.

The celebration runs beyond Friday, though. From December 11 to December 21, the SportsPlex is offering discounts on new memberships; there will be free fitness classes on Tuesday the 15th; and there will be several special holiday events on the ice rink: a performance of the Nutcracker On Ice December 18-19, and a “Skate with Santa” event December 20-21.

The Orange County SportsPlex is located at 101 Meadowlands Drive.

Photos from the Orange County Sportsplex anniversary celebration.

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