UMR sports complex headed to East County

After Duane Moore gave his son Ryan Moore 52 acres of land on Upper Manatee River Road, he asked what his son was going to do with it.

The 52 acres were part of about 500 acres where Ryan Moore grew up — Moore's Dairy Farm. 

Duane Moore thought his son would simply sell the land to a developer for another housing project.

Instead, Ryan Moore told his father he wanted to devote the land to his passion. He wanted to turn it into a sports complex.

“Sounds like music to my ears,” Ryan Moore said his father told him.

Ryan Moore is the founder and owner of UMR Sports, an athletic academy that will be located, yes, on Upper Manatee River Road. He grew up playing sports on his father's land and throughout Manatee County. Now, he wants to provide the opportunities he had to other people living in the area.

Moore envisions a complex with baseball and softball fields, pickleball courts, a cornhole area, volleyball courts, a track and a multi-use field or two that could be used for football, soccer, lacrosse and more. After completion of the complex, which will be located at 151 Upper Manatee River Road, he wants UMR Sports to become a household name in the East County area.

The amenities will be added in phases. The first phase of construction will include six pickleball courts and four sand volleyball courts. Moore said the courts will be designed to a standard that will allow him to bid for NCAA and National Junior College Athletic Association events, which is the goal for all of the complex’s facilities.

The pickleball courts will be constructed by Palmetto-based Stewart Tennis Courts & Fencing, while the volleyball courts will be constructed by Sarasota-based Landscapes by Aaron.

Moore hopes construction will begin within 30 to 40 days and he said it will be complete before May, which would ensure the courts are operational by summer.

The second phase consists of three softball fields, including one that will be created as a stadium, which could also be used for youth baseball. He hopes construction for the second phase can begin in early 2022, depending on the county's permitting process. The third phase includes three large baseball fields, and the fourth phase will likely have one or two multi-use fields and a track.

Moore said he plans to charge $50 monthly for membership at the complex. In addition to open play, Moore wants to host leagues and tournaments among members, both kids and adults. He also plans to allow non-members to rent time on the courts through an online registration system, although members will have priority.

He will also rent out the facilities to organizations that want to use them, such as schools, travel leagues and recreational leagues.

UMR Sports has started holding tournaments, camps and clinics to develop its brand in the area. For example, the UMR Pickleball Tournament Extravaganza was held Feb. 6 at Lakewood Ranch’s public courts.

As for camps and clinics, Moore has recruited several former pros to his staff to provide instruction including Scott Eyre, a 13-year Major League Baseball veteran who on the 2008 world champion Philadelphia Phillies; Bree Scarbrough, a professional beach volleyball player who is originally from Sarasota; and fastpitch softball professionals Jessie Warren, Carsyn Gordon and Jessica Burroughs. Once the proper facilities are built, Moore plans to move those camps and clinics to his complex.

In the future, Moore hopes the baseball and softball fields can provide a home for the Florida Gulf Coast League, a summer baseball league for college players that Moore founded. The league also started a softball division in 2020 that Moore said is the only summer league specifically designed for college softball players in the country. He said more than 8,000 people streamed the 2020 championship game online.

“We'll be serving the community, but we'll also be serving our collegiate leagues,” Moore said.

Moore said his biggest dream — which is only an idea at this point — is to start a professional softball league in Florida, with one team based in Manatee County.

Moore said the UMR Sports complex will be successful for two reasons. He said there aren’t enough fields and courts in the Lakewood Ranch area to meet the demand for baseball, softball, pickleball and, especially, sand volleyball. He said its location on Upper Manatee River Road will provide exposure via high traffic volume and increasing development in the area.

“My dad had no idea when he was 19 that he was going to be in the middle of Parrish and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard,” Moore said. “We feel like we're going to be able to serve the community from Parrish all the way to south Lakewood Ranch.”