South Philly student athletes score new training facility
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- "It started out as an idea maybe 20 years ago," said Dom Nardini. "When it's bad weather, the worst thing is you want to be able to work out but nowhere to do it."
Nardini, a baseball lover and coach, always wanted his children to have an indoor training facility closer to home.
"All the kids in South Philly had to go somewhere else. Delaware County, South Jersey Bucks County," he said. "It was something missing and baseball was suffering because of it."
In late 2015, Nardini would finally have his chance to make a change. But it required some teamwork with someone he would typically play against on the diamond: Louis Cammisa.
"Dominic and I were rival coaches," said Cammisa. "So when the opportunity came, we looked at each other and said, 'How about we just try this together?'"
Thus, South Philly Sports Training was born. But their vision eventually outgrew the tight quarters of their small gym.
Just in time, the two coaches were able to acquire the former DiBruno Brothers warehouse at 2514 Morris Street and convert it into a beautiful gym with rows of spacious batting cages. They celebrated their grand opening this weekend.
"We're hoping to be able to expand into the neighborhood where a lot of people can take the benefit of using this gym," said Cammisa.
Currently, area schools like Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School and String Theory School are able to take advantage of the space for their teams. The general public can also rent out space to work-out or practice batting.
But that's not the end game for these two coaches.
"It isn't just about working out. It's about becoming better friends, better people, better young men," said Dom Nardini. "15 years from now, I can say we're out and I know it's in good hands."
To learn more about South Philly Sports Training and their team, visit their website.
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