The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority (AZSTA) awarded a $1.4 million grant to the under-construction Reach 11 Sports Complex in northeast Phoenix. The money will go toward lighting sports fields, which will significantly expand the use into evening hours.

“We want to thank the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority for supporting Reach 11 as it moves toward becoming one of the top facilities of its kind in the country,” said Councilwoman Peggy Neely, District 2, who represents the area. “This is exactly what our children and community need. It provides a safe and fun place for recreation and for kids to develop healthy minds and bodies.”

The groundbreaking for the complex, at Cave Creek Road between Deer Valley and Pinnacle Peak roads, occurred in August. When this phase is fully developed, Reach 11 will include 10 lighted soccer fields, bleachers, a scoreboard, restrooms, access roads, parking, walkways and trails. One of the soccer fields will be a state-of-the-art synthetic grass field, the second of its kind in the city of Phoenix.

The AZSTA has awarded more than $7.4 million to youth and amateur sports organizations in the past three years. Reach 11’s was the largest grant this year.