Sports Academy celebrates five years

Contributed Auburn Villager Sports Academy co-owner and instructor Mark Fuller works with Chandler Mulvaney of Beauregard

For 23 years, the 21,000 square-foot building in Opelika's Midway Plaza was vacant, eventually becoming a place where locals dumped their garbage.

When former Auburn University assistant baseball coach Mark Fuller left the Tigers' staff in 2003, he wasn't sure what the future had in store for him, but hoped his lifelong passion would somehow be involved.

"I knew I wanted to do something with baseball," said the former Auburn and Triple A pitcher. "I loved coaching, but at the college level everything is centered on winning. I wanted to do something that focused more on the teaching aspect."

Fuller got with his friend Steve Kisor, a local physical therapist, and the two began brainstorming potential business ideas. During the summer of 2004, Fuller and Kisor decided to create a place where kids could learn the fundamentals of baseball and softball one-on-on in a safe environment under experienced eyes.

With the help of Fuller's wife Lori and her management and public relations knowledge, the Sports Academy came to fruition. That vacant building on Pepperell Parkway, simply known as "The Dump," was cleared of 100,000 pounds of trash and became Sports Academy's home in January 2005.

The facility features three indoor batting cages that range from high to low speeds, pitchers' mounds for softball and baseball and a weight training area. Memberships and private lessons are offered, and token batting cages are also available.

"We get a lot of college students on Friday nights that buy a few bucks worth of tokens and have a great time," Fuller said.

Fuller is the main baseball pitching and hitting coach. Kisor teaches kids the proper way to strengthen themselves with weight training while teaching injury prevention. AU students and former softball players Jessica Melton and Sidny Baez lead the softball lessons. Rodney Lindsey, who graduated from Opelika High School and spent nine years playing professional baseball, also teaches baseball lessons.

Most kids who regularly visit the facility are ages 8 to 12, and those who work with Kisor in strength conditioning are 12 to 14. Fuller said kids of all ages and all skill levels have a place at the Sports Academy.

The main purpose of the business was not only to have a place where young baseball or softball players could hone their skills, but also to help build their self-esteem.

"When a boy or girl learns that they're capable of reaching the next level of their game, it does wonders for their courage and confidence," Fuller said. "That's really been the biggest success story here--making a difference in kids' lives."

To help accomplish that goal, the Sports Academy works with Zaxby's to honor a handful of kids each month for their sportsmanship and character.

"It's a small way to let kids know that they're special," Fuller said.

The building also houses an Astroturf area that is used for both practicing and hosting birthday party games like dodgeball and tug-of-war. In the five years the Sports Academy has been in existence, Fuller said it has hosted about 400 kids' parties. A special room is painted and decorated for such events, and every birthday boy and girl gets to leave their permanent mark with a handprint on the wall.

Fuller and Kisor also