Behind a longtime coach's home in Ohio is an indoor batting cage in Kent, OH that exists for one honest reason, a dad wanted a place his daughters could always hit, and then decided to share it.

The cage

The cage sits inside a heated, enclosed 40-by-60-foot outbuilding, so multiple kids can rotate through productively, one hitting or pitching in the 45-by-15-foot cage while others work off a tee nearby. It comes with a softball pitching machine, an L-screen, a hitting tee, softballs, and a softball bullpen mound, with a Bluetooth sound system and parking on site. At just $30/hour, it's an easy yes for families who hit often.

Who it's for

With room for up to 10 and a layout purpose-built for rotating groups, it's a natural fit for softball players and small teams who want productive reps without fighting for space at a crowded public facility. The heated, enclosed building keeps it fully usable straight through the Ohio winter, which is when players who keep working tend to pull ahead.

The host

Steve is a dad of two softball players who has coached his girls for years, coaching, he says, is his passion, right alongside the construction business he's run for a decade, which is likely why the space is built so well. Now that his oldest is heading off to play college ball, some cage time has freed up, and he's opening it up to “help anyone out who struggles finding a place to practice.” That generosity is the whole spirit of this place.

Good to know

The building is heated and fully enclosed for genuine year-round use, with parking on site. It's a private, no-frills setup made by someone who knows firsthand exactly what a hitting family needs, because he built it for his own.