How Does Laser Tag Relate to Siuslaw Athletics Academy?

Why We Chose Laser Tag

At Siuslaw Athletics Academy, we believe in more than just training champions — we’re here to build community, spark joy, and give kids (and kids at heart) a reason to move, play, and connect. This is why we included laser tag in our business model.

Laser tag isn’t just fun — it’s active, inclusive, and deeply social. It gets people off the couch and into action. It’s the perfect complement to our sports training facility: fast-paced, team-oriented, and built around strategy, agility, and fun.

We wanted a way for families, youth groups, and friends to enjoy time together — even if they aren’t athletes. Laser tag allows everyone to be part of the action, no matter their age or skill level. It’s also a powerful bridge between entertainment and exercise — kids are moving, ducking, diving, and working together... without even realizing they’re getting a workout.

Laser tag isn’t just a fun side project — it’s a stepping stone. Every game played, every birthday party booked, and every membership sold directly fuels our next chapter. We’re starting small, but the revenue generated from laser tag will go straight back into making this place even better as we add to our arena and broaden our offerings with VR games, mini golf, hobby batting cages, etc. (just a few of our ideas), while simultaneously generating the funds we need for the sports equipment we’ll need for the Siuslaw Athletics Academy sports facility!

This means when the right building or land finally becomes available, we’ll be ready to hit the ground running — with the resources we need to open faster, better, and stronger. Along the way, we look forward to connecting with our community, getting to know our neighbors, and building lasting relationships through shared fun and activity.

We know Florence has been waiting for fresh, fun, and engaging things to do, especially during the rainy months! (I know my family was desperate to get out of the house and move!) Laser tag gives families, teens, and adults a place to laugh, compete, and connect — and it keeps dollars local.

So while our full sports academy is still on the horizon, laser tag is the spark that will light the way there. We’re building more than just an arena; we’re building momentum for the future of recreation in our community.

Our vision is big— is yours?

CROSSROADS

Having a business plan and all the momentum behind it is a great feeling! One of the biggest challenges in this project is finding a location. When one was available we ran!

Unfortunately, it was taken before we had a chance. This was a bummer and it made us re-evaluate and get creative. The search continued, the possibilities shifted and more hard decisions were in front of us.

The decisions were to rent a space now and scale back our grand scope of services and then expand, or build and make it everything we dreamed of, but its going to take much longer. Were juggling all the options and even have a few new clever ideas in motion. Ones we cannot yet disclose yet, but meanwhile we wait for these to develop and rise to the surface before we can spill the beans we are tackling the long to do list.

Dreams into reality

It all began with a “what if” idea and it turned into a wish, a whisper, a conversation, a need, and now into to a mission. Here we are today, the two of us working around the clock, all day and through many sleepless nights while we continue to be supportive wives of busy working husbands, raise our children, coach practices, run errands, cook, clean, attend meetings, non-stop go go go to solidify the business plans we have created on paper.

We have taken many steps into this venture already in the short month we have been at it. Each day we inch closer to our vision. Please come along with us. We would love for you readers to walk with us during this project we have set out on to better our community. Whatever the ups and downs we face, we are laying it out. Of course, leaving out all the boring bits. It should be fun!

The first stage of this mission was pairing up with each other, promising that we would give it our all and signing away on the dotted lines. All in!

Right from the start we were gloves off- plugging away brainstorming many ideas. Some good and some not so good. Putting these ideas in endless texts, emails and phone calls back and forth to get what we needed down on paper. I guess you call this…. “ the business plan”.

Grit and Grind

Why Sports Shape Us for Life

Growing up, I was drawn to a certain kind of person.
The kind who had the grind.

They were the ones who showed up early and stayed late. The ones who squeezed in extra reps after practice, who dove headfirst into drills—sometimes quite literally. They were the kids belly flopping on a dive play, (and still laughing about it twenty years later). The ones who gave everything they had in pursuit of one goal: to be their best.

We shared terrible losses and extraordinary wins. We bruised, we limped, we learned. We pushed through the pain and found something deep within ourselves. Something called grit.

Grit isn’t just perseverance. It’s the unshakable resolve to keep moving forward, especially when things are hard. It's fighting through frustration, fatigue, and fear, and doing it anyway.

Sometimes the reward is the win.
But sometimes, the reward is the loss that transforms you. It’s the heartbreak that fuels your growth. It’s what drives you to self-reflect, recalibrate, and rise stronger. And when you’ve worked hard enough—really hard—something starts to click. First one thing, then another, and suddenly your body knows how to do what your mind had envisioned all along.

That moment of breakthrough?
That’s what it’s all about.

Confidence follows. Not just in sports, but in life. Because once you’ve pushed through something difficult and come out the other side, you carry that strength with you forever.

For me, softball wasn’t seasonal—it was always.
It taught me how to be mentally tough, physically strong, and emotionally resilient. It gave me tools I still use today in every part of life: in school, in my career, in my marriage, in parenting. It wasn’t about being perfect. It was about never giving up, learning from failure, and adapting with grace.

Now, as a coach, my role goes way beyond teaching a swing. I want my players to understand why we train a certain way. I want them to learn how to recognize their own mistakes and fix them on their own. I want to build their inner voice—the one that says, “You’ve got this,” even when no one else is around.

It’s not just about building good athletes.
It’s about building confident, but humble humans.

At Siuslaw Athletics Academy, we strive to challenge kids in meaningful ways—through encouraging words and actions. We take our responsibility as coaches, mentors, and fellow parents seriously, and we understand just how powerful our influence can be. Every moment with a young athlete is an opportunity to help shape character, build resilience, and light that inner spark that keeps them going.

Today’s kids face a mountain we didn’t.
They battle the pressures of social media, digital distractions, lack of free time, and too often, a shortage of meaningful adult guidance. Many are being raised by screens instead of experiences.

That’s why sports matter more now than ever.

They offer structure. They offer discipline.
They offer real-world feedback, real-time learning, and real connection. They give kids a place to struggle safely, to grow through adversity, and to feel proud of their progress.

As coaches, we carry a massive responsibility.
We’re not just teaching mechanics—we’re helping raise the next generation. And if we do it right, we’re raising them with grit. With the grind. With the ability to take on whatever life throws at them.

Because the real win isn’t just a score on a scoreboard—
It’s who you become on the way there.