Cheers erupted Tuesday afternoon as dozens of children gripped shiny new shovels and turned the first mounds of dirt for Rockrose Sports Park, a sprawling 90-acre complex that will reshape the landscape of youth sports in Amarillo.
The groundbreaking marks a milestone nearly four years in the making for Kids, Incorporated of Amarillo, the nonprofit that has organized youth sports across the Panhandle since 1945. The new facility will be the organization’s largest project to date — and one of the biggest privately funded sports investments in Amarillo history.
Once complete, the park will feature 36 acres of synthetic-turf fields for baseball, softball, soccer, and football across 72 developed acres, with another 18 acres reserved for a future indoor sports complex. Construction is expected to take 18 to 20 months, with play anticipated to begin by fall 2027.
“We’re not done, but we’re close enough,” said Kids, Inc. President and CEO Jimmy Lackey, standing before a crowd of families, donors, and city officials. “It’s time to get started. When we open this place, it’ll be debt-free. I have all the faith in the world that we’ll finish this campaign just fine.”
A long time coming for Amarillo
Amarillo hasn’t passed a city park bond since 1974, leaving youth sports facilities dependent on schools, volunteers, and nonprofits like Kids, Inc. For many in attendance, Tuesday’s ceremony represented not just a new park — but a homegrown answer to decades of unmet recreational need.
“This project is 100% community-driven,” Lackey said. “No taxpayer dollars. Every dollar has been raised through donors, grants, and supporters who believe in what this means for Amarillo’s kids.”
To date, the organization has raised about $27 million toward its $30 million goal.
Executive Vice President Clark Wilfong said the ceremony was emotional after nearly four years of design, fundraising, and revisions. “We’re tired of looking at drawings — now it’s time to move dirt,” Wilfong said. “Having the kids here today, that’s what this is all about.”
Built by Amarillo, for Amarillo
The sports park sits on donated land just south of Loop 335 and Interstate 27, part of a 90-acre parcel provided by Rockrose Development.
“When Jimmy came to my office with this vision, it lined up perfectly with ours — to create community outdoor space led by local people with roots in this town,” said Rockrose President Matt Griffith.
Lackey called the donation “a gift of prime real estate” that made the dream possible. He also credited local partners including Southwest General Contractors, Sims Architects, and GDI Engineering, all based in Amarillo.
“I’ve been part of five failed park bonds,” Lackey said. “For us to step up and pull this off without a dime of taxpayer money — that’s something to be proud of.”
Turf, tournaments, and a tourism boost
The complex will use turf fields throughout — a deliberate choice to avoid rainouts and keep tournaments on schedule. “On turf, it drains and 20 minutes later, you’re ready to go,” Lackey said. “That’s what keeps tournaments coming back to our community.”
Local officials estimate the park could bring thousands of visitors annually through tournaments, hotel stays, and local spending. Wilfong said that success is already visible in other Texas Panhandle communities where Kids, Inc. operates.
In Hereford, Kids, Inc. manages a multi-million-dollar outdoor complex that features four baseball and softball fields with full synthetic turf surfaces. Each field includes portable outfield fencing that can be adjusted to accommodate different sports, while the outfields are marked with two seven-on-seven soccer fields and six smaller layouts for three-on-three and four-on-four play.
In Dalhart, the organization opened a full indoor sports facility in early 2023, which serves multiple sports — including soccer — and now operates year-round as a hub for youth programming in the northern Panhandle.
“This is just a larger version for Amarillo,” Wilfong said. “It’s going to change what youth sports looks like here.”
Grounded in faith and legacy
Before the first shovels turned, board member Quinn Alexander read from Psalm 85 and Isaiah 35, blessing the land, workers, and future athletes. “Father, this land is yours,” he prayed. “Bless the children who will play here — may their joy be a sweet sound to you.”
Faith, Lackey said, has sustained Kids, Inc. since its founding by Cal Farley in 1945, when a small group of boys gathered to play basketball at the Maverick Club.
“If you erased 80 years of what Kids, Inc. has meant to this community, there’d be a massive void,” Lackey said. “We’re the caretakers of Mr. Farley’s program. We don’t own it — we just make sure it thrives.”
He quoted a phrase that has guided him since his 1995 hiring:
“Children are the living messages we send to a time we won’t live to see.”
Lackey said the children who helped turn dirt Tuesday will one day coach their own teams on the same fields. “Thirty years from now, they’ll remember this day,” he said. “They’ll be the next generation carrying this forward.”
What’s next
Dirt work is expected to begin within two to three weeks, led by contractor D.E. Rice Construction. The project will progress east from the golf-course boundary toward Premier Drive, covering a site roughly seven-tenths of a mile long.
Lackey said small donations will be key to closing the remaining funding gap. “Those $25, $50, and $100 gifts add up fast,” he said. “Anyone who gives becomes part of this legacy.”
Once the outdoor park is complete, Kids, Inc. will shift focus to Phase Two — construction of the indoor sports complex on the north side of the property. Plans for the second phase include a state-of-the-art indoor track, along with basketball and volleyball courts suitable for both community and competitive use.
The new facility will host youth tournaments and public recreation year-round, expanding opportunities for local athletes, families, and club programs. The additional court space will also provide rental opportunities for teams and increase tournament capacity for existing youth basketball and volleyball events.
Modeled in part after the success of Dalhart’s 2023 indoor facility and the Hereford complex’s flexible field design, the project aims to create one of the most comprehensive athletic centers in the Texas Panhandle once both phases are complete.
Donations can be made at kidsinc.org.
As the ceremony concluded, the crowd counted down from three. The shovels struck earth, cameras flashed, and a wave of applause rolled across the field.
“This is going to be here for generations,” Lackey said. “And long after we’re gone, the sound of children laughing out here will remind Amarillo what faith, persistence, and community can build.”
Future site of Rockrose Sports Park details
Location: 9100 Canyon Drive (Size: 90 acres (72 developed in first phase)
Cost: Approximately $30 million
Funding: 100% privately raised — no taxpayer money
Target completion: Fall 2027
Next phase: Indoor sports complex planned on remaining 18 acres
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Kids, Inc. breaks ground on Rockrose Sports Park, a $30M home for Amarillo youth sports
Reporting by Michael Cuviello, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
