With two kids who love to get active, Flathead Sports Collective owner Malia Monaco saw the need for a place where kids can gather to work on their skills or just hangout after school.  

There’s basketball, volleyball, baseball and more to explore at the Flathead Sports Collective, located at 1113 Custer Ave., Unit A, off Montana 35, just west of Montana 206. Monaco said the new 2,800- square-foot sports center and event space is finishing up the final details on the new endeavor, which will soon be getting an indoor batting cage and multi-sport simulation game.  

Monaco said the effort was born out of trying to find places for her daughter to practice volleyball, particularly during the wintertime. There was also an obvious need for more places where the community can connect, she said.  

So far, her own children are already making new friends from around the Flathead Valley.  

“They are meeting new friends, which is really fun. Being in this corridor, we have a mix of people from Kalispell, Columbia Falls, Creston, Bigfork and even Lakeside,” she said.  

Programming will be open for children between the ages of 8 and 14 years old, she added.  

“[During those ages] they're building their confidence, they're making connections with themselves, they're learning about who they are — you  want to be able to create that safe space for not just physical movement or mental health purposes, but for building their confidence,” Monaco said.  

Working in program development and business coaching over the last five years, Monaco said she understands the importance of different areas of expertise — that's why she hired Isaiah Jackson as the new program coordinator.  

Jackson brings years of experience working in program development for children, particularly at a backcountry exhibition program in his home state of North Carolina.  

“They encouraged me to get some of the backcountry medical certifications and that sort of stuff, which just kind of set me on the path I am now,” Jackson said.  

The collective was a blank shell when she and her husband, who is a general contractor, started to flesh out the new sports center. Inside, there is a large court for volleyball, basketball and other games, like spike ball, which Monaco’s children played while she showed off the new building.  

The business will feature one of the only indoor batting cages in the area, Monaco said, and eventually, a soccer field will be added behind the building.  

“If any clubs want to utilize the space, because I know that's sometimes an issue for practice seasons ... we have the space. Let's use it and maximize it as much as we can for the community,” Monaco said.  

The incoming sports simulation game, which resides in a room between the court and batting cages, will include everything from football to rifle sports. It’s a lounge area that will lend itself well to parties, she added.  

There’s a space upstairs to accommodate birthday parties or other gatherings, with a commercial-sized photo booth featuring bins of props and backdrops. The party area overlooks the entire rest of the sports center, which is great for parents keeping an eye on kids as they run between different games.  

How memberships and payments for patrons will work is still being determined. Though they just opened this month, they already have children stopping a couple of times a week for the entire afternoon.  

Anyone interested in stopping by this summer can reach out at 406-250-4635 or by emailing [email protected].  

This fall, it will be open 9 a.m. through when school lets out for the day, with exact hours still being determined. There will be a drop-in option for parents as well as time blocks that can be reserved.  

Monaco said she believes homeschooled children and their parents will be interested in the collective, as well as families who want to stay active during the winter.  

“It's a great thing, because we don’t do winter sports so we're stuck inside. This is going to give us this place to stay active all year round, warm and cozy and outside of the environment,” Monaco said.  

While the space will be primarily used as a place where children can hang out and practice sports, she said it is also available to rent for other community events. She’s been in talks with someone who wants to host a women’s self-defense class, as well as someone who teaches woodworking.  

To learn more about the Flathead Sports Collective, visit flatheadsportscollective.com.  

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4440 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support. 

    Girls practice volleying a volleyball in the gym at Flathead Sports Collective on Tuesday, July 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Blake Monaco shoots basketball at one of the hoops in the gym at Flathead Sports Collective on Tuesday, July 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider