The Pittsburgh Indoor Sports activities Area in Harmar affords multisport enjoyable, occasions, pubs and assembly rooms

While former Steelers player John Banaszak was enjoying his retirement, the three-time Super Bowl champion and longtime college football coach was ready to return to the sport in his own way.

He recently became President of the Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena in Harmar. He knew the owners, Karyn and Bob Brooks, long before he took the position.

“I was bored at home and was looking for something I enjoyed,” he said.

The facility, which has been open since 1999, offers sports enthusiasts and athletes a wealth of activities to experience, as well as a drink and a snack in the PISA Pub & Cafe. The premises are operated by Banaszak, Marketing and Event Manager Jenna Plummer, five full-time and five to six part-time employees.

Three grass fields form the rear half of the building, accompanied by batting cages. On the other side of the building are multi-sports courts that can play more than 10 sports – basketball, volleyball, roller derby, futsal (a form of indoor soccer), pickleball (a racket game), and more. Summer camps are also offered for children.

The membership fee is 30 euros for the whole year. Plummer said they want to expand membership options to support diverse groups such as retirees, veterans, family members and hikers.

“We want to create individualized memberships to meet people’s needs,” she said.

The expansion is just one of their plans to increase the pulling power of the facility. Before Covid, over 800,000 people would visit the facility in a year. Covid affected business, but PISA has been working to return to normal while maintaining a safe environment, Plummer said. No Covid cases have been reported.

“It is important to us to offer our guests a clean and safe environment. This is our top priority, ”she said.

As a retired veteran himself, Banaszak wants more veterans to visit the facility. He suggested the idea of ​​offering free memberships to veterans. He will visit the H. John Heinz III Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center in O’Hara to see how he can help with their fitness programs.

The facility has event space for special occasions that people want to host. A birthday party, a regional NFL combine, and an antique toy show are examples of events held in the room. Banaszak said the room offered many possibilities.

“Anything you can do in a convention center, you can do here,” he said.

The plant is not yet fully developed. Plummer said there are plans to add more sports. The two look at wheelchair basketball, a golf simulator and cornhole tournaments. Part-time workers are supposed to help out in the bar and in the café of the facility.

“The growth for the business has been great. We’ve had a period of growth in the last four years I’ve been here, ”she said.

Tanisha Thomas is a contributor to Tribune Review. You can contact Tanisha at 412-480-7306, tthomas@triblive.com, or on Twitter.