Building a Community Through Sport

Project Overview

What was once a vacant 10-acre lot on Chicago’s west side is now a dynamic space for sport, education, and community growth.

Intentional Sports, a nonprofit based at 1841 N Laramie Ave, transformed the land into a 120,000-square-foot multi-sport campus. Designed to create access for youth from under-resourced communities, the facility supports year-round programs across soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball, and more.

Backed by mission-driven partnerships with the Chicago Fire, Wintrust, and Jason Heyward’s Baseball Academy, Intentional Sports set out to build a facility that could serve elite athletes and local youth alike. To meet that challenge, they partnered with Keeper Goals and other vendors to deliver professional-grade infrastructure that matched the scale and ambition of the project.

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

PROJECT NAME:
Intentional Sports

LOCATION:
Chicago, IL

PRODUCTS:

Challenge

Bringing a multi-sport facility to life required solving for flexibility, safety, and elite performance—all within the realities of a nonprofit budget and construction schedule.

Multi-Sport Integration

The facility needed to accommodate soccer, baseball, basketball, volleyball, and other sports—each with distinct safety, equipment, and regulatory needs.

High-Capacity Use & Versatility

Designed for daily activity and overlapping programs, spaces had to be easily adaptable for games, practices, and training—often happening simultaneously.

Tight Timelines

With partner activations and youth programs already on the calendar, every installation had to be completed on schedule.

Budget Sensitivity

As a nonprofit, Intentional Sports had to maximize value without compromising on quality or safety.

Professional-Grade Standards

Equipment had to meet professional expectations, supporting elite training through partners like the Jason Heyward Baseball Academy.

  • Fieldhouse with full 110x70 yard soccer field and MLB baseball specs.

  • Located in the heart of Chicago, Intentional Sports is committed to being a welcoming home for everyone.

  • Fieldhouse features four drop-down batting cages, perfect for players of all levels to train.

  • Indoor baseball field with MLB specs.

  • The Jason Heyward Baseball Academy is on-site, where youth of all ages can learn, train, and have fun playing the game they love.

  • Drop-down batting cages make the fieldhouse fully multisport ready, offering flexibility for a variety of athletic needs.

  • On-site academy provides professional coaching, camps, and clinics for aspiring ballplayers.

  • Where passion meets purpose: Intentional Sports empowers Chicago's youth through accessible programs and mentorship.

  • Two full court gyms with WNBA and NBA lines with upper and lower viewing decks.

  • Developing athletes and life skills through the game of basketball.

  • Ceiling-mounted hoops make it easy to transition the gym for multi-sport use.

  • A vacant 10-acre lot transformed into a vibrant sports, education and wellness campus.

  • Gym dividers allow the fieldhouse to split into four separate multi-sport zones.

  • Youth soccer programs designed to develop skills, teamwork, and confidence.

  • 110x70 yard FIFA regulation sized indoor soccer field.

  • Custom depth, wheeled, full size goals by Keeper Goals allow easy transformation of the fieldhouse space.

  • Perimeter mesh netting allows viewing for spectators.

  • Over 150,00 square feet of indoor and outdoor fields.

  • Over 40 hours of weekly low-cost youth sports programs offered.

  • Four total volleyball courts in the East and West Gym.

  • Backup netting installed to contain soccer balls within the mini-pitch fields.

Solution

Keeper Goals provided turnkey sports infrastructure designed for flexibility, performance, and durability—tailored to Intentional Sports’ vision.

Custom Perimeter Netting

A total containment netting system surrounds the indoor turf fieldhouse, combining a tensioned mesh barrier along the lower perimeter with suspended netting overhead that integrates into the ceiling. This configuration helps keep balls and equipment safely within the field of play while enabling spectators to view the action up close. The setup also provides clear sightlines from elevated areas such as upper viewing areas, maintaining an open and immersive experience without compromising safety.

Motorized Batting Cages

Installed for the Jason Heyward Baseball Academy, these cages can be raised or lowered by motor, enabling smooth transitions between baseball training and other turf-based sports like soccer and football.

Soccer Goals

Custom-manufactured in-house, the full-size regulation soccer goals feature a shortened back depth to fit the fieldhouse footprint while maintaining high-performance standards. Wheeled bases allow the goals to be easily moved and reconfigured for different soccer field setups. Additional age-appropriate and futsal goals were also built and delivered, supporting flexible training formats and small-sided soccer games.

Basketball Hoops

NBA-level, height-adjustable hoops were installed in the gymnasium to support everything from youth clinics to high-level competition.

Volleyball Systems

We provided portable, easy-to-set-up volleyball systems, adding more flexibility to the gym and enabling league play, drop-ins, and camps.

Space Optimization + Coordination

We worked closely with the project’s architects and general contractors to ensure smooth installation and seamless integration of all systems—fitting precisely within the facility layout and technical specifications.

Gym Divider Systems

To support high program volume and flexible scheduling, we installed motorized gym dividers in partnership with Grand Slam Safety, allowing the gym and fieldhouse spaces to be quickly reconfigured for multiple simultaneous uses.

Results

The collaboration between Keeper Goals and Intentional Sports helped turn vision into reality—delivering a facility that serves the community today and adapts for the athletes of tomorrow.

On-Time Delivery

Every system was installed within the project’s timeline, supporting a smooth facility launch.

High-Functioning, Multi-Sport Flexibility

From soccer matches to baseball instruction and volleyball leagues, the equipment supports a wide variety of uses without compromise.

Safe, Durable, Year-Round Use

All gear was built for daily wear and tear, meeting professional standards while ensuring athlete safety.

Elite Training Environments

The facility now hosts programs that rival top-tier training centers—empowering youth to dream big and train hard.

Expanding Opportunity for Chicago’s Youth

With professional-grade infrastructure in place, Intentional Sports can now deliver on its mission to provide Chicago’s youth—especially those from under-resourced neighborhoods—with access to high-quality programs rooted in excellence, respect, and service.