Introducing the Iowa City Area Sports Commission’s January Playmaker of the Month, Michael Rooney!

Once a month, we will be highlighting our sports community members during a time of year they work closely with our team.

Tell us a bit more about your role at GreenState Family Fieldhouse. 

I have been with the facility since late 2018 – during the construction phase of the project. Since opening doors in 2020, I have held the position of Fieldhouse Director and expanded into Director of Events as well since 2023. My role is to oversee event management for all activities in the facilities, coordinating and communicating all event needs to all parties involved. I also manage and book the 340 annual days of events held at GreenState Family Fieldhouse. Prior to working at Xtream Arena, I worked for Think Iowa City for 3.5 years in various roles.

What kind of events take place in the GreenState Family Fieldhouse vs. Xtream Arena? 

Xtream Arena is home to Iowa Volleyball, Iowa Gymnastics, and Iowa Heartlanders Hockey with nearly 60 tenant team home games every calendar year. The arena is also proud host of many annual events highlighted by IGHSAU State Volleyball, IGHSAU State Wrestling, IHSAA State Wrestling Duals, Dan Gable Donnybrook, Soldier Salute, Rodeo, First Tech Challenge, ICCSC Graduations, and various family shows and concerts. GreenState Family Fieldhouse hosts many youth club practices, tournaments, camps, recreational programming, public drop-in pickleball and basketball, and is a great auxiliary space for large-scale Arena events.

Favorite event you have hosted: 

The annual Special Olympics Iowa Spring Classic.

What event would you like to see hosted at your facilities? 

I have interest and continuously work on the idea of hosting a large-scale “Fit and Health Expo” encompassing all things fitness, healthy living, and various group exercise competitions. Reach out if you want to get involved!

Talk a bit about how pickleball is such a big part of the Fieldhouse’s success: 

Pickleball was a bit of an afterthought during the planning phases of the project but thankfully the decision to line 15 pickleball courts on our hardwood was a huge win. The sport has been an integral part of the Fieldhouse calendar – offering roughly 250 days of public pickleball annually with an average attendance of 75-100+ casual and competitive players. I would highly recommend joining any mornings M-F 7:30am – 12:00pm and getting a taste of the action! With the support of Pickleball Johnson County and many local charities and fundraisers, we have hosted at least five pickleball tournaments each year since opening doors.

Contact Michael

 

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