Off the Starting Block: A Conversation with Malik Rucker
The executive director of V3 Sports on the V3 Center in North Minneapolis and plans to grow the facility and its economic benefits for the community
Interview by Chris Hudson | May 1, 2025
Malik Rucker in the V3 Center lobby in front of a community-themed mural created by local artists Jendayi Berry and Aleya Berry. Photo by Sharolyn B. Hagen.
2025 PRINT ANNUAL
This interview appeared in the 2025 ENTER print annual, available for purchase here.
In the summer of 2024, V3 Sports opened the V3 Center in North Minneapolis, a $26 million, 45,000-square-foot facility that addressed a glaring disparity in Northside access to fitness and wellness spaces with a five-lane, 25-yard teaching pool, a hydrotherapy pool, a 5,500-square-foot fitness center, and classrooms. Designed by LSE Architects, the project was a major milestone for the nonprofit. Founded in 2007 by world triathlete champion Erika Binger to help local teens train for triathlons, V3 Sports is now equipped to meet an expanded mission: to elevate the community through wellness, fitness, and education.
Malik Rucker joined V3 in 2020 as director of strategic partnerships and community engagement, partnering with Binger to help bring the V3 Center to life. ENTER met with Rucker—now V3’s executive director—to learn more about the vision for the facility, which includes future expansion.
The organization is fundraising for an addition that will include a 50-meter competition pool, a four-court gymnasium, and space for STEAM education, among other amenities. V3 has acquired the pool used for the 2021 U.S. Swimming Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, where Team USA qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games. The disassembled pool is now onsite, awaiting its permanent installation.
First, tell us a little about yourself and your path to V3 Sports.
I was born and raised in North Minneapolis, took advantage of all the programs and schools the area had to offer, and ended up really clinging to sports. I graduated from [Robbinsdale] Cooper High School, went to the University of Iowa on a full-ride scholarship to play football, and later transferred to Western Michigan University, where I played for Coach [P.J.] Fleck [now the University of Minnesota coach].
The 25-yard pool employs regenerative media filters that provide cleaner water than do traditional sand filters. Photo by Sharolyn B. Hagen.
I graduated with a degree in sports management, came back to Minnesota, and got to work. My first job was with Big Brothers Big Sisters. It’s such a good program, but from the start I was trying to meet everybody I could in the Minnesota sports industry. I met Miguel Ramos [the Minnesota Twins’ former senior director of diversity and inclusion strategy], who offered me a paid internship with the Twins. The internship was a step back, but it allowed me to connect with even more people and build relationships in the industry.
Soon after, I met [V3 Sports founder] Erika Binger, and we talked regularly. She invited me over to this warehouse [where V3 had fitness equipment] and said, “I have an idea to build a new facility here and would love for you to be a part of it.” So, I joined Erika. I was the first V3 Sports employee. We got to work on figuring out how to build this facility with LSE Architects. We broke ground in November 2022, I became the executive director in November 2023, and we got the keys in February 2024.
It’s clear inside the building that the V3 Center and its programming were shaped by community engagement and partnerships.
Yes, we needed to empower community to have a voice in what we were doing. Our outreach varied from focus groups to design charrettes where we had V3 youth help us shape the Boys & Girls Club space. We created a youth advisory board that had input on furnishing selections and some of the programs we were starting. And then we just got outside. When there was a community event, we brought tables. We let people know that we were going to be here, got them on our email list, and tried to keep everyone informed.
With phase one of the project—this building—we wanted to build a space rooted in health, wellness, and water safety. We recognized that there was a lack of supporting infrastructure for health and wellness in our area, so we worked with Agape Oasis to bring drop-in childcare into the building and the Boys & Girls Club for after-school programs. And now we have Soul Bowl in our restaurant space.
Photos 1–7: The V3 Center sits at the busy intersection of Lyndale Avenue North and Plymouth Avenue North. The facility includes a generous lobby, a five-lane, 25-yard teaching pool, neighborhood-themed murals, a fitness center, and a hydrotherapy pool. Photos by Sharolyn B. Hagen.
We knew that there were great programs and resources in North Minneapolis and people who really care about the work they do. That allowed us to say, “OK, let’s work with these experts and figure out how to make it all fit within the facility.”
With phase one of the project—this building—we wanted to build a space rooted in health, wellness, and water safety. We recognized that there was a lack of supporting infrastructure for health and wellness in our area, so we worked with Agape Oasis to bring drop-in childcare into the building and the Boys & Girls Club for after-school programs. And now we have Soul Bowl in our restaurant space.
We knew that there were great programs and resources in North Minneapolis and people who really care about the work they do. That allowed us to say, “OK, let’s work with these experts and figure out how to make it all fit within the facility.”
V3 chose LSE Architects as its design partner.
Working with LSE was a game changer for us because of their expertise and because they had already done so much in North Minneapolis and understand this community. They knew we wanted a world-class space, and they designed a beautiful building for us.
“I see us hosting major events like the Paralympics and the Special Olympics and taking part in mega-events like Olympic trials and NBA and WNBA finals. I see our community members and businesses having access to those types of events and the jobs and economic benefits they bring.”
The feedback from the community has been amazing. People who have been around for years have come in and said, “This is far beyond my expectations.” Our team may take it for granted a bit, being here every day, but the community is really excited about the quality of the building and how intentional the design is throughout. One person went so far as to say that he and his family had been packing their house to move out of the neighborhood but unpacked when they saw what we had here.
We’re giving families a reason to stay—or move back. That’s the kind of feedback that touches me the most.
Did your college football experiences filter into the design of the V3 Center?
I actually had to pull back a little because there’s a difference between a Division I training facility and a community fitness center. But we do have a hydrotherapy pool that you typically only see in high-level athletic training facilities and orthopedic centers. So, people with physical disabilities—or those who just need to take some pressure off their joints—can benefit from physical activity in our facility.
The central stair in the V3 Center envelopes staff and guests in the V3 Sports brand color. Photo by Sharolyn B. Hagen.
Former Minnesota Vikings receiver Adam Thielen visited the facility a few months after it opened [the Thielen Foundation supports V3 Sports], and he said he uses a hydrotherapy pool every day. Swimming against the current helps him recover more quickly during football season—and may even be one of the reasons he’s been able to have such a long career.
What’s next for V3 Sports?
Over the past several years, our vision has grown because we have an opportunity to create a local, regional, and national destination in North Minneapolis that can drive millions of dollars in economic impact every year. With phase one, we took a bite out of the apple. We’re now a community asset with a strong foundation in place and significant expansion ahead.
I’m super excited about the planning for phase two because we now have a facility and members, and we can ask, “What do y’all think? What are we missing? What should we add?” Now that our brand is growing, we have more people interested in providing input.
When I think about our future, I see a campus. I see us hosting major events like the Paralympics and the Special Olympics. I see us taking part in mega-events like Olympic trials and NBA and WNBA finals. I see us being an asset to the state of Minnesota all while being rooted in community, and our community members and businesses having access to those types of events and the jobs and economic benefits they bring.
Of course, I also see us continuing to be a family space. I see community members who are active and healthy and have that “home court” advantage for their kids and families.
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