Three Amherst firefighters open training facility for baseball, softball

AMHERST — A new business in the Amherst Plaza Shopping Center aims to make high-level baseball and softball coaching accessible to the average family. Affordability was a key element for Legends Athletics Amherst owners Cal Knowlton, Brian Wood and Charles Kellogg, who met each other through their work as volunteer firefighters with the Amherst Fire Department. Knowlton, a former Black River High School and San Diego City College baseball player, said the distance many young people must travel and the price their parents must pay for good training is excessive for a lot of promising athletes. "I have worked for a few different baseball facilities here in the state of Ohio. I was taking teams from Amherst and driving them all the way out to Strongsville," he said. Legends' location near State Routes 2 and 58 is expected to be much more appealing for many local athletes. Knowlton is focusing on the baseball training side of the operation, while Kellogg handles the business end and Wood primarily attends to the facilities. Staying in the Amherst area limited the spaces available to the group, but location was important, and eventually they found and leased the property at 1943 Cooper Foster Park Road, in the shopping plaza. The building had been sitting empty for a while but was previously a general store, Knowlton said. When the trio started renting the property this fall, they had to transform the interior from a space suited for retail into a safe place for people to be active. Wood said that was not an easy process, especially considering the three owners did the bulk of the work themselves to save money. "We were putting in 10 hour days for a month, all of us," he said. From November to December, they took out the drop ceiling, raised the lights and sprinklers, had turf flooring installed, removed drywall and studs, repainted all the walls, installed netting and added equipment. Now, Legends Athletics Amherst offers programs for speed and agility and group fitness for adults in addition to its signature training for baseball and softball. "Our goal was basically to be as community-involved as we could," Knowlton said. "We have, obviously, the baseball and softball side of things for kids to come in here and parents to know exactly where there kids are going to be after school on Thursdays." "And also have their parents come in Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings to get their workouts in," he added. Anyone visiting or working out is required to wear a mask due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Another piece of the facility's community involvement is seen in who they hire to coach the baseball and softball players. Knowlton said the entire coaching staff is made up of younger people in an effort to "change the culture of baseball a little bit." Not only does that give young coaches valuable experience, but Knowlton believes it will also motivate the athletes to see someone nearer to their age getting in the action and running drills with them. Legends Athletics Amherst can be reached on their Facebook page, by email at legendsathletics15@gmail.com or by phone at 440-371-2378. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.