Jeralyn Wessel – Staff Writer

As many renovation projects have drawn to a close with the arrival of students on campus, the American State Bank Sports Complex construction continues since breaking ground in April of 2022. The dome should be up before mid-November, according to Carrie Krohn, the Director of the American State Bank Sports Complex and Senior Women’s Leader. Dordt University plans to receive the keys on Dec. 2, 2022. On Jan. 2, 2023, the sports complex will be open for events, provided the construction timeline continues to stay on schedule.

Jointly funded by Sioux Center and Dordt with a naming gift from American State Bank, this structure will be an air-inflated dome encasing a turf field the size of an international soccer pitch. The dome will be large enough to host baseball, track, soccer, or football practice, with enough space to divide the turf into two or three sections for different activities. While a concession stand will be available, no food or drink other than water will be allowed on the field.

Any groups, whether in the community or not, will have access to renting the complex for events. From local soccer leagues to events hosted by Student Services, the American State Bank Sports Complex will provide a connection point not only for athletes but for the community.

“We are all only limited by our own imaginations for what it can be used for,” Krohn said.

In addition to providing an events space for the community, the sports complex will allow for sports teams to extend their practice seasons through the winter conditions that generally bring them to a halt. Access to the dome will benefit Dordt’s athletic department as well as other athletic teams in the surrounding area.

As the Senior Women’s Leader, Krohn has committed, along with the whole athletic department, to focus attention on the mental health of student athletes. A background in higher education and coaching helps Krohn act as a friend and mentor to anyone navigating a difficult time, and she believes the connection point of the American State Bank Sports Complex contributes to this goal.

“Our bodies, honestly, are created to move,” Krohn said. “We are more fully using mind, body, spirit for the Kingdom if we are using all of those things. When we separate those things into different categories, we are forgetting we are whole people.”

With the American State Bank Sports Complex nearing completion, the spring semester should bring a variety of new events to campus and many opportunities for connection throughout the community.