10.0. EDSR 03-11-1996 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Wednesday, January 24, 1996/ Elk River Star News/ 5 • Elk River is new home of the • Minnesota Sports Federation by Joni Astrup Associate editor . hon Organization es to build a An organization which over- g /" sees amateur athletics involy- big, indoor recreational facility ing thousands of people across Minnesota has relocated its The Minnesota Sports Federation (MSF) hopes to open a headquarters to Elk River. large,indoor recreational facility within the next two to three The Minnesota Sports years. Federation(MSF)moved.from Several communities, including Elk River, have been con- Maple Grove to the former tacted about potentially being the host city for such a facility. Bates Video store at 592 Perry Coonce, MSF executive director, said the facility Dodge Ave. in Elk River this would be about 45,000 square feet in size and cost about$1.5 month. million. One of the things the host city would be asked to Perry Coonce,MSF executive provide is land for the project. director,said they selected Elk "We're trying to build a facility that would have eight River because they were able volleyball courts and four basketball courts," Coonce said. to get larger office space at an "There's a number of the communities surrounding Elk River, affordable cost and it was a including Elk River, that we're going to be discussing the convenient location for potential benefits ofthat facility with in the next,probably,six employees. Eight people work months." out of the Elk River office. The new facility would allow for a variety of indoor sporting • MSF is the largest amateur events and activities including basketball, volleyball, touch sports organization of its kind football,soccer and wrestling.It also could host events rang- in the United States, with ing from sports clinics to arts and crafts shows. more than 200,000 adult and The facility also would house MSF offices, which recently youth members. moved to Elk River, and a new.Minnesota Amateur Sports "We're really ;unique," Hall of Fame. Coonce said. "We're the only Coonce said the complex also could include some outdoor organization like us in the fields,depending on what the host community wanted to do. country that combines all of "One of our biggest problems that we have to deal with on an the sports under one umbrella annual basis is facilities,especially for indoor sports,"Coonce organization." said. ' The organization conducts state championships and spe- cial events in adult softball, MSF director, special events," Northway volleyball, basketball, touch MSF has a large number of sail football, broomball, sand vol- members from Elk River, pri- A non-profit organization, leyball and youth sports pro- marily through people MSF generates revenue grams in girls' and ,boys' involved in softball, volleyball ,through participant fees and Junior Olympic softball, bas- and basketball. charges. It receives no state ketball, volleyball and base- Elk River is also one of money. ball. MSF"s top hosts in the state, The organization has been in "We could serve an athlete especially for adult and youth existence since 1982 and is from 8 years old all the way up softball. "(Elk River) hosts a overseen by .an 11-member until when they are in their lot of district tournaments and board of directors. 70s," said Barb Northway, qualifying tournaments and •