GAMA Sports Training’s new home in Plum is “absolutely everything that this area needed,” says Gabrielle Fischetti.
“It’s a big space that is going to create a lot of good athletes,” said Fischetti, 24, of Murrysville, a partner in GAMA Sports with her father, Joe Fischetti, and retired NFL football player Chris Edmonds of Penn Hills, who played for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2002 and 2003.
The trio held an open house Saturday for their nearly finished multiuse facility on Sheena Drive off of Davidson Road. It is scheduled to open by Wednesday, and a grand opening is in the works for June after the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club.
GAMA Sports specializes in strength and conditioning, personal training and coaching for runners, and baseball and softball lessons.
The 27,000-square-foot building is nearly six times the size of its previous home nearby on Sheena Drive. It consists of 22,000 square feet of turf, a 3,000-square-foot gym and 2,000 square feet of office space.
Pugliano Realty owns the building, which was built by Pugliano Construction.
The turf area includes four drop-down batting cages. While the 52-yard-long and 40-yard-wide area is lined for football, it can be used for lacrosse, baseball, softball and other activities and sports.
The field’s 50-foot-high ceiling will help with training quarterbacks and kickers, said Edmonds, who became a partner with Joe Fischetti a few years ago after meeting through a mutual friend. His food truck, Athletic Trauma Unit, was on-site for the open house.
Edmonds said he watched the project develop from an idea to drawings and to construction before becoming a reality.
“It was a lot of work,” he said.
The cost of the project grew from $2.5 million to about $3.5 million, and it took longer than initially expected, but Joe Fischetti is happy with the results. He and a former partner started GAMA in December 2018.
“It’s everything that we anticipated. It all came together. They did a super job,” he said. “I cannot be more happy with the way that everybody worked on this.”
While the inside of the building is complete, a lot of outside work remains to be finished, including landscaping and signage.
“For the most part, we’re ready to go,” Joe Fischetti said.
Hours will be 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays.
Memberships to use the gymnasium are $45 per month per person, or $85 per month for a family of four and $10 per each additional person.
Ray Whanger of Plum was checking out the gym with his three children but primarily for his daughter, Emmalyn, 14, who plays soccer and runs track.
“I’m very impressed. This is very well equipped,” he said. “The weight room is fantastic. He’s got a lot, more than most bigger gyms.”
