Boo Williams Sportsplex is a new venture developed by prominent athlete, coach and youth sports advocate Boo Williams in partnership with a group of investors and in conjunction with the city of Hampton, Virginia. The 135,000 sq. ft. indoor sports and event center opened its door on March 14, 2008, becoming the largest sportsplex between Washington D.C. and Greensboro, North Carolina.

Boo Williams  grew up and lives in Hampton, Virginia. He was a basketball star at Phoebus High School and went on to play at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, where he was later inducted to the school’s Hall of Fame. The 6-foot, 8-inch power forward went on to play professional basketball in Europe. Williams is agent for State Farm Insurance, and is nationally and internationally known as an ambassador and consultant for youth basketball and youth sports. In 1982 he started a high school AAU basketball program, the Boo Williams Summer League. Founded with four teams, there are now more than 165 teams and more than 2,000 male and female players. Williams helps recruit players from around the country that participate in tournaments here and abroad. His Summer League, which is sponsored by Nike, has won several national championships and attracted some of the nation’s best players. Hundreds have received basketball scholarships and many have gone on to become college, Olympic and professional stars. Williams currently is the AAU Chairman of Boys Basketball and on the USA/ABA Cadet Committee for Development of Future Olympians. He was Disney Wide World Sports Volunteer of the Year in 2001. The Boo Williams Sportsplex provides a 135,000 square foot, $13.5 million facility for a wide range of indoor youth sports, including basketball, volleyball, track and field, field hockey, soccer, lacrosse, gymnastics and many other youth sports and activities.

Youth Sports Icon’s Dream Becoming a Reality Boo Williams Sportsplex to Be Largest Facility of its Kind between D.C. and Greensboro

Hampton, VA: For more than 10 years, Boo Williams has dreamed of opening a state-of-the-art youth sports facility. A former NCAA star and youth basketball icon whose name is on the Blackberries of college coaches across America, Williams’ dream is rapidly heading towards tip-off. From soccer, field hockey, volleyball, martial arts, lacrosse, wrestling, track, dance, paint ball – and of course basketball - the new Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton, Virginia will open in March and at more than three acres will be the largest facility of its kind in a nearly 200-mile radius.

“Basketball of course is going to play a big part, but we also wanted to provide a premier destination for the whole range of youth sports under one roof,” says Williams, a Hampton, VA native whose real name is Marcellus Spencer Williams Jr. “It’s all about the kids and providing a great youth sports venue for people from here and around the country.”

The 135,000 square-foot sportsplex will feature eight basketball courts, six-lane indoor track, eight volleyball courts, four competition hockey courts, along with fitness and training centers, meeting rooms and concessions. Floor space can be configured to accommodate most indoor sporting activities and can hold two major events simultaneously. The venue has a 4,000-person seating capacity.

As Williams’ dream, the sportsplex will be home to the Boo Williams Summer League, an AAU affiliated basketball program he started in 1982 that now has a network of 165 teams. For the last 25 years, Williams has been recruiting, teaching and helping thousands of young athletes, both boys and girls and many underprivileged. Hundreds have gone to college on basketball scholarships and many have become college stars and pros, such as J.J. Redick, Alonzo Mourning and Allen Iverson. Williams himself was a high school basketball star, a Hall of Famer at St. Joseph’s University and a pro in Europe.

“There is no one in the country that has helped youth basketball more than Boo Williams,” says Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski. “His work has been pure! Boo wants each youngster, regardless of his level of talent, to develop their potential as a person and as a player.”

The Sportsplex will host tournaments and events starting in March, including the Boo Williams Invitational, USA Volleyball, Nike Boys and Girls Basketball, the National AAU Volleyball Tournament and indoor high school track competitions. The facility will also host events and activities in conjunction with the City of Hampton, which provided land for the facility and some of the infrastructure costs. The Sportsplex’es location at 5 Armistead Pointe Parkway is just off Interstate I-64 and in close proximity to Hampton’s New Town Center, providing easy access to hotel, hospitality, restaurants, services and cultural attractions.

“The Boo Williams Sportsplex will provide young athletes a grand facility in which to participate and watch inspired competition in a wide range of sport,” says Hampton Mayor Ross Kearney. “The facility will also take the region into a new phase of economic development in regards to athletic competition.”
Williams anticipates a busy opening season, overseeing his dream come true, as well as in his continuing role as an ambassador of youth sports, traveling, recruiting, coaching and consulting. He is also the current AAU Chairman of Boys Basketball and an agent for State Farm Insurance.

“I have a good team around me to help make all of this happen,” says the affable six-foot, eight-inch former power forward. “I can’t wait to see the kids faces when come inside the sportsplex.”

Boo Williams Sportsplex will offer the following indoor sports:

Basketball Soccer Cheerleading

Track and Field Baton Excercise programs

Field Hockey Volleyball Paintball

Wrestling Lacrosse Power Lifting/Weight Lifting

Boxing Martial Arts Dance

Baseball Practice Gymnastics

For more information about the Boo Williams Sportsplex, visit www.boowilliamssportsplex.com 

For Sportsplex event booking information, call 757-637-7300.