AAO Whitaker Family Sports Center
Rogers, Arkansas
A recognizable home for Arkansas Athletes Outreach’s work with young athletes. The 54,000-square-foot Rogers facility brings four full-size basketball courts, school partnerships, and an attached D1 Training facility together in a durable, cost-conscious building.
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Client goal
A place to develop athletes—and build community.
Arkansas Athletes Outreach uses sports to help young people develop as athletes and individuals, emphasizing character, confidence, teamwork, and positive mentoring. F+W’s relationship with the nonprofit began with multiple expansions of its five-court Fayetteville facility. Growing demand led AAO to establish a new Benton County home in Rogers, serving youth recreation, Flight teams, competitive training, and high school basketball. The brief paired responsible stewardship of donations with a clear ambition: an economical building that would strengthen AAO’s identity.
Regional need
Expanding access to youth sports in Benton County.
The Rogers campus extended AAO’s reach beyond its Fayetteville home. In April 2019, 5NEWS reported that population growth and demand for youth sports programming were driving the expansion. At that time, AAO reported serving more than 5,000 children annually. The planned second campus occupied a 10-acre site, with indoor competition and training space complemented by outdoor recreation. The two campuses were intended to work together to attract and host youth sporting events across Northwest Arkansas.
Program
Four courts. A shared purpose.
The facility includes four full-size basketball courts, two with stadium seating for high school athletics and feature games. School partnerships give local high school programs a home gym, while all four courts support youth tournaments and community use. Concessions, storage, restrooms, and an upstairs business center with offices and conference space support the activity throughout the building. AAO’s facility listing also identifies 24 basketball goals, six volleyball courts, and retractable bleachers, allowing the court spaces to accommodate different activities. The wider campus includes two outdoor multi-sport fields.
D1 partnership
Supporting performance and long-term operations.
An attached leased facility for D1 Training broadens the center’s athletic development opportunities while helping offset AAO’s operating costs. Its program includes an approximately 50-yard indoor football field, strength and athletic training areas, and treatment spaces. D1’s emphasis on coached development of strength, speed, agility, and confidence complements AAO’s focus on preparing young people for life through sports.
Design response
Economical construction. A distinct identity.
A straightforward, elongated pre-engineered building provides the underlying structure. Functional and architectural screening shapes the exterior while concealing necessary building components, creating a recognizable presence for the organization. The design gives the building an identity that reflects AAO’s mission and helps establish its brand.
Durability
Built for intensive daily use.
Concrete block and other robust, high-density materials respond to the demands of a busy athletic facility operated with limited staffing. Durability was central to the material choices, supporting daily use while keeping practical maintenance needs in view. The completed facility has become a new face for AAO—a community gathering place where architecture supports the organization, its athletes, and its long-term mission.
Project timeline
Design in 2019. Completion in 2020.
Fugitt + Wheeler completed the design in 2019. In its April 30, 2019 report, 5NEWS announced a groundbreaking scheduled for May 10. Principals William Kim Fugitt and Keith Wheeler joined AAO at the groundbreaking, marking the transition from design to construction. Built by Pick-It Construction, the Rogers facility was completed in 2020, expanding AAO’s capacity to serve athletes and families in Northwest Arkansas.
