WILLIAMSBURG — The Williamsburg Indoor Sports Complex, also known as the WISC, officially opened 25 years ago, and its owners are looking back on the past and considering what the next 25 years might hold.
Chris Scrofani, Chris Haywood, and Amy West originally opened the facility as an indoor soccer, inline hockey space and karate dojo.
“We found out pretty quickly that we needed to adjust and pivot,” Haywood said. “We were very specific to certain sports at the time, knowing that we could do some other things within those big areas like the soccer field. We continued to adjust what we were doing at the time.”
Shortly after opening the space, Scrofani attended a conference where he learned of a before- and after-school program that might make sense for the facility. In 2003, the WISC launched its Kids Club program.
“To this day, we know that our Kids Club program will be a consistent revenue stream for us. We’re a one-stop shop, they are here for care, they are here for preschool, they are here for before and after school care, but many of these kids also come here for sports,” Scrofani said.
With the Kids Club program in place, the WISC continued to grow and ultimately expanded in both 2005 and 2014.
“We’re really proud that we are a place where you can take care of all facets of the mind and body. We’re not just focused on a few niche things, we try to create something that is benefitting the entire body. That’s something we will always strive to do here,” Haywood says.
After renovations, the center now houses an indoor soccer field, pickleball courts, multiple gyms, a CrossFit area, a preschool, a gymnastics facility, a yoga studio, various sports offices and more. The WISC has also opened its doors to lease agreements. Many local teams call the WISC home base, including Virginia Elite Gymnastics Academy, the Williamsburg Wrestling Club, The Academy of Dance and Gymnastics, Riverside Physical Therapy and more.
In 2025, the center turns 25.
“Now that we’ve been here 25 years, we’re starting to get to the point where kids that went through our programs are bringing their own families back. It’s a really neat feeling to know that you’ve had a hand in creating childhood memories for people,” Haywood said.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the WISC, two events will take place Aug. 9: a family fun day in the morning and a concert in the evening.
The family fun day event at the WISC from 9 a.m. to noon will feature fun for all ages of the family. The WISC will host bounce houses, a tiny farm, vendors, raffles, Pinewood Derby races and more. The event is free and open to the public.
The evening concert at Jamestown Beach Event Park will feature live music from Johnny St. Clair, First of the Day, and Williamsburg’s own Canaan Smith. Food trucks will also be on site. While the event is free and open to the public, a VIP experience for $35 is also available through Eventbrite.
As Haywood, West, and Scrofani look to the future of the WISC, all of them agree that the community will remain its number one priority.
“What has made us successful has always been catering to the community. The families that live and work here are the ones that we cater to. We’re 100% here for the community,” Scrofani said.
For more information, visit thewisc.com.