New indoor turf center fills up with teams, athletes

Taking infield is tough in the winter.

Aspiring baseball players need space to work on their skills all year if they hope to keep up with the competition from the Sun Belt.

Turf 37 opened this month to help fill that need for athletes in the Sioux Falls area.

The 10,000-square-foot facility in Corson hosts team and individual coaching sessions. Baseball is the prime focus right now because of the season, but Turf 37 is available for any athletes who need indoor space, owner Dallas Schneiderman said.

Schneiderman played high school and amateur baseball and coached the Brandon High School club team for 10 years, but the time commitment was difficult to balance with his job as dean of students at McCrossan Boys Ranch.

He kept doing private coaching, however, so he knew that available turf space in Sioux Falls is sparse.

“There’s next to none,” he said. “If I didn’t know people and play baseball with them, I would have been totally screwed.”

The opportunity to open Turf 37 came when Legends, a similar business in Sioux Falls, closed because the building was sold. Schneiderman bought the turf and equipment, and then went looking for a building.

The Corson location is close to his home in Brandon, which works well, and it was available immediately. A system of nets allows the room to be divided into sections or opened up to use the full space. The area is roughly the size of a baseball infield.

The facility has a mezzanine and a kitchen, which will allow for event rental.

Turf 37 has been busy since opening day. Teams and coaches from around the area book time at $90 an hour. Many of them have standing times through the week, so they are guaranteed space until it warms up enough to go outside.

There’s also interest from soccer clubs and football instructors. The controlled atmosphere allows the instructors to stay focused and work on particular skills.

Private coaches have become increasingly popular for young athletes.

“It’s completely blown up,” said Schneiderman, who commonly does three or four lessons a day, seven days a week. “I don’t have another minute to do it.”

He has started referring players to other coaches.

The trend toward specialization in youth sports and the growth of traveling and club teams fuels demand. It’s a good part-time job for coaches, he said.

Turf 37 is available for all sports and activities.

“We’re keeping it wide open, anyone that’s looking for turf space,” Schneiderman said. “It’s been interesting.”

And the name?

The turf bit is obvious, but 37? In true baseball fashion, it’s superstition. That’s just his lucky number.

Schneiderman said he considered a lot of names, and there were plenty of suggestions from friends and family before he just had to pick one.

“Screw it. We’re doing that one,” he said. “Keep it simple.”

Turf 37 is near Marmon Energy on the north side of Interstate 90 near Corson. The address, however, is 616 E. Willow St., Suite A, Brandon.

For information about rates and availability, call Schneiderman at 605-951-3538.