Get Fit, Have Fun in Jackson, TN

Whether a viewer or a doer, there is plenty of enjoyable competition taking place in Jackson.

By Cary Estes on August 9, 2023

There are plenty of sports opportunities available throughout Madison County for athletes and spectators alike, from participating in numerous recreational leagues to watching a variety of amateur sports teams, including the new Jackson Rockabillys collegiate-level baseball team.

“People want a great place to live, work and play. And sometimes play means going to watch other people play,” says Tony Black, director of recreation and parks for the City of Jackson. “We want to give our residents the options to have all those leisure activities, to be able to participate in them and also to watch them.”

The participation part is easy to find, beginning with the West Tennessee Healthcare Sportsplex. The 70-acre facility has 17 lighted and groomed baseball/softball fields, each with electronic scoreboards and covered dugouts. The fields are used for both local rec-league play and youth baseball travel leagues.

The growing sport of pickleball can be enjoyed outside at Conger Park and indoors at the South Jackson Community Center as well as the Westwood Tennis Center. Black says plans are underway to create a new 12-court pickleball complex at North Park. “We have a thriving pickleball community here, and we want to expand their opportunities to play,” Black says.

There are several golf courses, both traditional and disc, throughout the Jackson area. Bent Tree is an 18-hole course (with a driving range) that, based on tee placement, can play from less than 5,000 yards in length for youth golfers and novices to more than 7,000 yards for advanced players.

Madison County officials are working on creating a course for the new sport of Wedge golf, in which each hole is less than 75 yards in length and players use only a wedge club.

The founders of Wedge are Jackson residents Brandon Hutchinson, Stephanie Riley and Ben West.

“Wedge involves hitting your golf ball from a tee box, then finessing your ball with shots until you get the ball inside a 36-inch round hoop on the ground that might be 90 to 150 yards away, depending if the hole is a par 3, 4 or 5,” West says. “There are no greens, no putting and no turf management. It’s a fast-paced, outdoor game, and nine holes can be played in about an hour.”

Meanwhile, disc golf courses are available at Muse Park, The Bend at Highland and Winds of Westover, which is approximately 1 mile away from Cypress Grove Nature Park.

Union University also has a disc golf course designed to accommodate 18 holes across campus, and the university usually hosts tournaments in the summer months.

And for something slightly different, Madison County has an equestrian center. Horse shows sponsored by the Oakfield Saddle Club take place there monthly from April through September, and summer events also are held by the Junior Rodeo Association and the Mid-South Horse Association.

The Club Scene

Recreational clubs and fitness facilities in the Jackson area allow residents to exercise and socialize at the same time. Popular local groups include the Hub City Picklers (pickleball), the Jackson Spokes Cycling Club (which holds regular public rides) and the Jackson Road Runners (which helps organize 5K races).

Residents can elevate their overall health at LIFT Wellness Center. The 84,000-square-foot facility includes a gym with indoor pools, a track, a rock-climbing wall and CrossFit equipment, along with specialized services for physical therapy, weight management and general wellness. In addition, residents can put their best fitness foot forward at 9Round, a boutique-style facility that offers kickboxing training.

College Spirit

There is almost always a local college sport to watch in the Jackson area. Union University, Lane College and Jackson State Community College all have athletic programs.

In fact, the Lane College women’s track & field team won the program’s first Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indoor National Championship this year. With 146 points in total, Lane College took the podium with Tennessee State, which won second place with 140 points.

Finally, during the summer, what can be better than spending time at the ballpark watching a baseball game. There was a new way to do that in Jackson this year with the inaugural season of the Jackson Rockabillys, a Prospect League team.

In Jackson, it’s all about giving people more and more options to go outside and enjoy themselves.

Kevin Litwin contributed to this article.