By Christian Warren Freed
Close your eyes and picture this… It’s Saturday morning. The fresh air promises a beautiful day. You hop in your car, eager to meet your friends for a rousing morning of friendly competition on the pickleball court or a pickup basketball game. A few years ago, this was almost impossible to find in our area other than in a crowded community center or school. That’s no longer a problem for the town of Holly Springs.
What a difference a decade makes. For those of us who have been here long enough, Highway 55 was once a barren road lined with pine trees and not much else. No longer a country town, Holly Springs has exploded over the past fifteen years or so. Nestled in the heart of that expansion and development is the North Main Athletic Complex on Sportsmanship Way. Formerly known as Ting Park, this 42-acre multi-use park has become an integral part of Holly Springs and the surrounding areas.
First envisioned over a decade ago, the park opened in 2015 with the intent of being an economic driver for the growing community. Holly Springs was still fairly underdeveloped at the time but had a bright future ahead of it. Sports often play a significant role for small towns seeking a unique identity, and this is true for Holly Springs. The NMAC was to bring in revenue and provide residents a much-needed outlet and reason to get together.
Complex manager Jay Bratschi, giving us a behind the scenes look at our athletic complex, said “The North Main Athletic Complex, or NMAC, serves as a regional gathering place that supports recreation, tourism, community pride, and economic growth.”
At the time, who could have imagined Holly Springs having a tourist destination? Originally dubbed the North Main Athletic Complex, naming rights were bought a few years later when internet provider Ting moved into town. Now that their contract has expired, the town reverted to the original name.
NMAC brings great benefits to our growing town. In addition to hosting a wide range of events, both sports-related and non-sports-related, the facility consistently brings people together year-round. NMAC is the site for numerous festivals, tournaments, and family and community gatherings. There are opportunities for everyone.
Get there early enough on a Saturday morning and you’ll find a waiting line for people eager to hit the pickleball courts. Come back a little later and it’s the same for basketball. (It’s important to note that all basketball and pickleball courts are first-come, first-served.) Thanks to recent expansions, we now have soccer fields open for play during the week until 5 p.m., and tournaments scheduled for youths of all ages. There are also tennis courts with the opportunity to join several leagues.
Still not enough? Don’t forget the Holly Springs Salamanders. This rotating baseball team features some of the best and most talented area ball players. Our very own Andy Wantz and Carlos Rendon spent time on that field before moving up through the ranks to earn their major league jerseys.
That’s all well and fine but NMAC offers so much more than athletics. Jay explains, “The complex also strengthens regional connections by attracting residents from neighboring towns who come to enjoy some of the area’s top amenities. High-quality facilities, open spaces, and community programming make the park a hub for recreation and social interaction, helping foster relationships between communities across the region.”
The economic impact grows with each year. Larger events, like the hailed Battle of the Badges softball tournament, brings teams, families, and spectators from across the region. Many of these visitors wind up staying in hotels, doing a little shopping between events, and dining at some of our finest restaurants. All of this contributes to town growth, increased revenue, and future sustainability. Originally built at a cost of 20 million dollars, the facility has consistently brought in between 6 and 7 million dollars of annual revenue to the town. I’m not that good with math but even I can see those are good numbers. The one-time gamble has paid off in ways none of the original developers anticipated.
NMAC now proudly hosts the Holly Springs Half Marathon, Winterfest in the beginning of December, car shows, yard sales, egg hunts, the National Night Out, youth soccer, the NCHSAA tennis and baseball state championships, and more. The Live at the Springs concert series is also doing its part to turn the town into one of those word-of-mouth places folks from all over want to visit and see for themselves. Over the last few years, we’ve brought in some heavy hitters like Everclear, Sister Hazel, and Vertical Horizon for evenings of musical thunder, and plans are to continue bringing in new acts once a year in mid-spring. Indeed, our town is gradually becoming something of a destination.
“Beyond economics and recreation, NMAC contributes to the town’s identity. It creates a sense of community pride, provides a safe and welcoming environment for families, and offers shared experiences that bring people together year-round,” Jay says. In a world intent on locking us behind screens with limited human interaction, having a place like NMAC where we can bond in person while enjoying common interests is something that breathes magic into the town of Holly Springs.
As we continue growing from a sleepy little country town to a small city, there will be plenty of growing pains, but there’s something about this neck of the woods that keeps us here. A big part of that is the North Main Athletic Complex. “I say this all the time, this is the best job I’ve ever had,” Jay shared. “Low stress and working alongside really good colleagues make this a dream job.”
Holly Springs, we’re lucky to have the NMAC and its many offerings! See hollyspringsnc.gov/607/North-Main-Athletic-Complex-NMAC for upcoming events, and then c’mon out. I’ll see you there.
