Meet Cortney Ley of Legacy Batting Cages

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cortney Ley.

Hi Cortney, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Our story really started back in 2017 when a local landmark, Englewood Indoor Soccer, burned down. It was a massive pillar of our community, a place where generations of kids grew up and made lifelong memories. We also had a beloved local arcade and batting cages down the street, but that facility closed down in 2024. Years later, and still no one had rebuilt. Englewood slowly became a recreational desert, with families having to drive 20 to 30 minutes south toward Dayton just to find something active and fun to do.

In 2025, I personally hit a major crossroads. My remote corporate job was requiring me to relocate across the country to work in person, away from my entire support system and the town I love. I knew I couldn’t leave, but I didn’t know what I was going to do. Around that same time, my mom and my uncle had been kicking around an idea: What if we brought indoor soccer back to Englewood? I did some research, and thought that if my family was by my side, we could actually make this happen. I walked away from my job and went all-in.

Originally, our vision ballooned into a massive, multi-sport complex. We started with indoor soccer, but thought it would be so fun to have basketball, volleyball, pickleball, batting cages, a walking track, you name it. But we are a working-class family and don’t come from money, so after about six months of planning, we realized the smartest move was to start small, prove the concept, and build our way up. We surveyed the community, and an overwhelming 65% of respondents begged for batting cages, especially since our town’s last remaining cages had just closed down.

So, we pivoted. We signed a lease on the building that used to house the Englewood Fun Center—which everyone in town remembers as the old local arcade—and completely transformed it into a dedicated baseball and softball training facility. We officially opened Legacy Batting Cages in February of 2026.

The reception has been more emotional and rewarding than we ever could have imagined. But the best part of this entire journey is that I get to do it alongside five of my family members. The support we provide each other is completely invaluable, and I couldn’t have done any of this without them. We believe in this mission so much that right now, none of us are taking a paycheck. Every single dollar we make is being poured right back into the business so we can fund our ultimate dream: bringing that full indoor sports complex and soccer facility back to the area. Everything we do is to give back to the community that raised us, and we are just getting started.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, and we’ve faced some heavy challenges along the way. When we started, we had very little professional knowledge about building out a sports facility. Because our concept is so unique and niche for this area, we quickly ran into a mountain of commercial red tape. We didn’t realize the highly specific types of turf and netting required to pass state building standards, and because nobody locally had built a facility like this before, there wasn’t a clear blueprint for us (or the city) to follow.

It turned into a grueling, months-long process of back-and-forth learning. It brought unexpected costs and delays that tested our patience, but it taught us so much about navigating the complexities of commercial real estate and opening a small business.

The financial pressure has also been a massive weight. Because we have an ownership structure of six equal family members, we couldn’t qualify for traditional small business loans. Everything you see here was funded completely out of our own personal savings and credit cards. Even though we aren’t taking paychecks, we are working hard to pay back that personal debt so we can eventually fund our next expansion.

When your monthly overhead is pretty high (commercial leases are no joke!), the financial stress and self-doubt can definitely creep in during the quiet moments. Honestly, my heart wishes I could open the doors and let the community use this space completely for free. But reality demands a sustainable business model.

Fortunately, whenever the self-doubt gets heavy, our family communication saves us. We are all open with one another, so when disagreements or frustrations happen, we smooth them over quickly. And above all, the community has completely carried us through. Local coaches have stepped up with advice on how they want to use the space, and the continuous influx of smiling families reminds us why we took this leap.

It hasn’t been easy, but it has taught me that my family and I can do hard things. And that is an amazing feeling.

As you know, we’re big fans of Legacy Batting Cages. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At our core, Common Ground Compound LLC is a family-owned sports development company, and our very first footprint is Legacy Batting Cages in Englewood. We specialize in providing a high-quality, indoor baseball and softball training facility for athletes of all ages and skill levels. We offer weather-independent cage rentals, team training space, and a community hub where local ballplayers can hone their skills year-round without having to travel outside the Northmont area. While we are known right now for our batting cages, we are ultimately a brand built on providing community space and accessible local recreation, and this facility is the foundation for our future multi-sport complex.

What sets us apart is our ‘why’ and our structure. We aren’t a corporate franchise or an outpost for a massive sports conglomerate. We are a family of six equal owners who live in, grew up in, and care deeply about this specific town. Because we don’t come from big corporate money, everything in our facility was built through personal sweat equity, grit, and sacrifice.

Furthermore, we design our space to be community-centric. When the local batting cages and the old Englewood Fun Center closed, it left a massive gap. We didn’t just open a business to make a profit; we opened it because our neighbors surveyed begged us for it. We listen to our local coaches and families, adapting our space specifically to what Northmont athletes need right now.

Brand-wise, I am incredibly proud of our authenticity and our resilience. We faced immense regulatory hurdles, unexpected legal costs, and the massive financial pressure of monthly overhead before we even opened our doors. Yet, we refused to compromise on safety or quality.

I’m proud that the name ‘Legacy’ isn’t just a marketing buzzword. It stands for the legacy of the local landmarks we lost, the legacy of our working-class family coming together to build something from scratch, the legacy of the young athletes who are building their skills under our roof, and the legacy of what we’re leaving our own children. The fact that five of my family members stand side-by-side operating this place is the ultimate source of pride for our brand.

We want readers to know that Legacy Batting Cages is open, thriving, and ready to welcome you! Whether you are a high school athlete training for college scouts, a Little Leaguer picking up a bat for the first time, a local coach looking for winter team practices, or just a family looking for something active and fun to do on the weekend, we have a place for you.

When you book a cage with us or support our facility, you aren’t just paying for a training session. You are directly investing in the future of recreation for our youth. Every single dollar we bring in is going straight toward funding our ultimate dream: expanding into a full indoor sports complex and bringing indoor soccer back to Englewood. We are a hometown family fighting for a hometown dream, and we’d love for you to come be a part of our story.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.legacysportsenglewood.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legacysportsenglewood/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Legacysportsenglewood/