Misty May-Treanor Sports Center opens in Irvine

A long line of people waited with the hopes of taking a photo with their favorite volleyball legend Wednesday night.

Misty May-Treanor smiled for each one, provided her autograph and offered words of encouragement for young athletes. Everyone felt great to meet May-Treanor, the former Newport Harbor High star who won three Olympic gold medals in beach volleyball.

She was known as a game-changer when it came to beach volleyball. It’s fitting that Mike Rangel used the same description when talking about the new facility bearing her name.

The Misty May-Treanor Sports Center had a quaint, and fun, open house in Irvine with May-Treanor as the featured guest. She also had her baby daughter, Malia, and grandpa Butch May in attendance.

Butch pushed around Malia in a stroller as Mama Misty promoted her new facility and welcomed everyone into the sports center she described as, “a palace.”

The facility, located at 14522 Myford Road, features 22 volleyball courts and 21 basketball courts. Each volleyball court has a digital scoreboard with “MMTSC” imprinted on each.

“For any athlete this is like a home away from home,” May-Treanor said. “It’s a nice place to come to. It’s like a sports campus. As an athlete you spend so much time at the gym.”

May-Treanor also described the facility as much more than a place to play volleyball. In addition to basketball and volleyball, the facility will also feature futsal.

“This is just me,” said May-Treanor, who played several sports while growing up in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. “I’m very honored they chose me to have my name on the facility.”

Tryouts for volleyball clubs began Thursday. May-Treanor said she will not coach one specific team, and she enjoys that fact.

“I’m an advisor,” May-Treanor said. “The beauty for me I can go to everyone. I feel I have a lot of good information. I can go every practice. I can coach the masses instead of one team.”

Rangel, managing general partner of MMTSC and a personal trainer of May-Treanor’s, appeared excited about the turnout for a Wednesday night.

He wanted to make sure the MMTSC was on another level when it comes to sports centers. He also wanted it to be different.

A 350-seat restaurant that overlooks the courts will open next month.

“I’ve had reps in here already from Spaulding, Nike, Under Armour, Asics and they’ve been in over 300 facilities across the country and they walk in here and say they’ve never seen anything like this,” Rangel said. “It’s very humbling, to hear from it the big boys.”

While the features of the facility were important, Rangel stressed and became excited when talking about the location.

He said the City of Irvine embraced the project, and he believes it’s because everyone can see how great it can be for the community and the children.

“It’s been neat to be embraced by the City of Irvine,” Rangel said. “We’ve had to follow the rules, not easy, but they’ve embraced us.”

Several children attended Wednesday’s event. Many of them played volleyball on a court, while dancing to some music that a DJ played.

Jessica Stocking, a 16-year-old senior at Laguna Hills High, was happy to meet May-Treanor for the first time. She said she was inspired to meet one of her role models.

She also happy to see the new facility, which even includes a putting green outside.

“It’s very big,” she said. “It even smells brand new.”

Rangel said the entire facility should be complete by Dec. 1. That also includes areas for plyometric training, a specialty of Rangel’s, and weight training, as well as a study area for the athletes.

“It’s going to open a lot of opportunities and possibilities for our youth,” said Scott Bruce, a director who has also coached Stocking. “Irvine has been needing something like this and it’s here. It’s going to be a great destination for a lot of kids.”