(McQueeney) – A local entrepreneur’s vision has turned into a slam dunk investment for all those who are passionate about the game of basketball.
Just prior to the start of the pandemic, Erik Saengerhausen had just opened the doors to his new indoor basketball court training facility, The Dog House. The gym is located on Terminal Loop Road in McQueeney.
While safety guidelines have made it difficult to fully operate over these last several months, the ability for training, pick up games and other basketball programs have finally resurfaced this fall. The switch to cooler temperatures has also made this the perfect time to hit the court. 
Saengerhausen says the Dog House has literally been a dream, a dream that he hopes other families will take advantage of.
“The name is the Dog House and that’s just the kind of training that we want to do. It’s intense, high intense training. The vision started — my kid plays AAU (Amateur Athletic Union). His kid plays AAU. Another buddy of ours Cody Cheetham, his son plays AAU and there’s just no where to train. We are all going to San Antonio to train or we try to utilize the schools but then it’s hit and miss, ‘Oh, you can’t train today because it’s Spring Break, the gyms are closed or you can’t do this or you can’t do that and then there wasn’t any equipment. It was brought up out of necessity. The Seguin Activity Center, we talked about that. That hasn’t opened. There’s just nothing in this area for kids to get out and train, nothing like this at least” said Saengerhausen.
The gym is located in a gated business park giving court users the opportunity to privately train if necessary. While his vision still calls for a few big-ticket items, Saengerhausen says his court comes fully equipped and even includes the luxuries of AC and heating for year-round operation.
“It’s 3,000 square feet. It’s kind of a three-quarter court. It has two goals. I’ve got two shooting machines, box jumps, ropes, pull up bars, medicine balls. We’ve got cones. I mean just all the training stuff you need. We’ve got everything,” said Saengerhausen.
Friend and local basketball enthusiast Thomas Zuniga says he is proud of what Saengerhausen has been able to accomplish and hopes that families and teams take advantage of this local gym.
“If you ask 20 plus people around Seguin that have kids in AAU and stuff like that — like if you want to go on a Saturday and shoot basketball or a Sunday, you can’t if it’s raining or too hot, the court’s not good — you don’t have lines. You don’t nothing to practice a free throw. You can’t practice a three-point line, how to bounce plays. You can’t do anything outside because there is not a facility so when I was talking to Erik and I said Erik if you do this, I can help you get people in as much as I can. I work with the high school boys and the high school girls and we have their back too, the coaches there at Seguin High. We School. We are just trying to get the word out for people to come here and train,” said Zuniga.
During its visit to The Dog House, the Seguin Daily News caught up with a few of the kids taking advantage of some of the training.
Among those picking up a few extra shooting skills was Kaleb McCann, a Seguin High school senior. McCann says it’s great to have access to such a well-equipped gym right here in the Seguin area.
“I feel like it’s a great place because they keep it well (maintained). They have machines that even the high school doesn’t have and the training here is next level. It’s not like other camps where it’s like 100 people and one coach. They always help you with everything,” said McCann.
A basketball court, of course, does not only belong to the boys. Also excited about getting her body prepared for the game was Seguin High School Freshman Desiree Zuniga. Desiree says she’s counting on having more girls come out and train.
“I think it’s good because I want to get better and being with the boys helps me push harder. Come out here and just don’t be scared to be around all the boys just play your game,” said Desiree.
When it comes to training, you are also never too young to play at your best. Just ask Jefferson Elementary fourth grader Cruz Escalante who says he enjoys the training because it also includes plenty of fun.
“It’s fun and it’s good to help you while you are playing basketball. This one has machines that help you and they do like different kinds of drills,” said Escalante.
Being on the sidelines is also pretty important for the parents who no longer have to drive out of town for the comforts of a good solid gym in which to train at. Cruz’s mom, April Escalante says the option of having The Dog House here is a win for her whole family who is very passionate about the game.
“Strength training, I think, is an important factor, ball handling – these are practices that he doesn’t necessarily get in these other programs. These other programs you get maybe one or two weeks to prepare with a team and then start games and they are learning basketball fundamentals there but here, they are getting that strength training to build up and utilize those basketball fundamentals,” said April.
While there will definitely be kids on the court, Saengerhausen says The Dog House, might prove even more important for those adults in the community who also enjoy a game or two.
“We definitely plan on having open gym even for older guys like me. I’m an old guy and I still like to play basketball so we are going to try to get some stuff on the weekends, some three on three, four on four pickup games just kind of an open gym style. The weekends are really good for just shooting machine where you come in and spend an hour shooting and have some stuff like that as well as the hardcore training and then we do have AAU teams that will be training out of here as well but we are kind of figuring it out as we go. We don’t really have an iron clad plan. We just know that we want to get kids in here and keep the cost as low as we can. This is not a big profit center. I want to get as many kids that I can in here for the least amount of money,” said Saengerhausen.
Next year’s goal will be to have 3 on 3 basketball games and tournaments bringing more of the surrounding community out to the gym. This year, The Dog House hopes to continue renting out the court to coaches by the hour and to continue its open gym days and training opportunities. Also, until further notice, COVID-19 safety guidelines such as social distancing while off the court will be followed. Mask wearing will also be an option for those on the court.
This Sunday, all Seguin ISD middle school and high school basketball players (7th to 12th grades) are invited out for a free two-hour training from 3 to 5 p.m. Those interested in this weekend’s free training or who are interested in utilizing the gym are asked to call 210-439-4471. Details and directions to the gym will be provided at that time. Regular updates on the gym can also be found on its Facebook page, The Dog House.