Key Takeaways
- Game Time, a 14-year-old Tacoma nonprofit, is opening a 22,000-square-foot facility in Lakewood with three full-sized courts
- The complex will serve youth programs and open to the community for leagues, pickleball, adaptive sports, and senior activities during school hours
- Facility includes a weight room and learning center focused on academics, mentorship, and mental health support
- Expected to open early 2026, expanding the nonprofit’s reach across Pierce County
Expanding Capacity for Youth Programs
Game Time is preparing to open a multi-sport complex in Lakewood, marking a significant expansion for the Tacoma-based nonprofit that has served youth for 14 years. The 22,000-square-foot facility will house three full-sized courts for basketball, volleyball, and pickleball, along with a weight room and dedicated learning center for after-school programming.
“We’re able to bring to the community more space, more resources, things that I think is needed in this area like Lakewood and Tacoma,” said David Stewart, Game Time director.
The facility is designed to support the organization’s core mission of providing sports, academic support, and mentorship to kids and teens. Executive Director Darren De Leon described it as “a home where they can come get mentorship, they can come get tutoring, they can come get active and healthy.”
Dual-Use Model Opens Access to Broader Community
During school hours, the complex will operate as a community facility, hosting pickleball and volleyball for adults, programs for senior citizens, and adaptive sports clinics for individuals with special needs. Game Time also plans to make the space available for league games and tournaments.
The approach addresses both youth development needs and community recreation gaps in Pierce County.
Focus on Safe Spaces and Violence Prevention
Game Time leadership emphasized the facility’s role in providing alternatives for young people in an area experiencing youth violence. “Especially with such a high rate of violence and things going on in the city, we got to do our part,” De Leon said. “I’ve lost friends and people I’ve known to violence, family as well, and that inspired me to kind of try to change that.”
Donovan Gill, a 19-year-old who joined Game Time in third grade, noted the program’s impact: “They help you stay on the right path and help you, guide you away from all the other distractions that wouldn’t help you to where you’re trying to get.”
Looking Ahead
Game Time expects to open the Lakewood complex to the community in early 2026. The expansion will increase the nonprofit’s capacity to serve youth across Pierce County with no waitlists. “There’s not going to be no limit now because we’re going to have our space,” Stewart said.
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