PreparationscontinueforindoorpracticefacilityatNorthwest

TwodaysbeforespringclassesbeginforstudentsatNorthwest,BearcatsbaseballcoachDarinLoehashisplayersreporttocampustobeginpracticewiththeregularseasonjustweeksaway.

BeginningMondayat6a.m.,LoesplayersknowtheyareexpectedinthebasementofLamkinHallforhittingpracticeinthethreebattingtunnelsandpitching.Intheevening,theathletesmaketheirwaytoBearcatArenaforthrowingandcatchingexercises.

WeutilizewhatwecanAllathleteswanttogetbackandgetreadyforthespring,andwejustdonthavealotofspacetodoit,Loesaid.Overthenextthreeweeks,thatsgoingtobedifficultaswerealltryingtobeaspreparedaswecanbeforourspringseasons.

InthemidstofBearcatbaseballpractice,though,anumberofotherathletes,andstudents,filethroughthespaceforconditioningandtrainingoftheirown.

Simplyput,thespacedoesnotaccommodateall14NCAADivisionIIteamsatNorthwestnotincludingcheerleadinganddancesquads.Atauniversitythatoffersawidearrayoffitnessandrecreationalopportunitiestomorethan6,000students,timesgettoughforteamsseekingtheproperpreparationwhentheweatherdoesnotcooperate.

Forexample,whensoccercoachTracyHozaisdaysawayfromamatchandheroutdoorfieldsareflooded,hergirlsmoveintothebasementofLamkinHall,MartindaleHallortotheStudentRecCenterforconditioning,ortotheracquetballcourtsforfootworkdrills.

Wemakedo,Hozasaid.Wehavetoimprovisealot.However,intheoffseasonwiththecoldweatherweusethefacilitiesthebestthatwecanYouhavetousewhatyouhaveavailable.

WhileBearcatArenahousesthebasketballandvolleyballteams,baseballandsoftballtendtojointennisandtrackforpracticetime,anditcangethecticforathletesofthetrackteamlikeseniormultieventathleteHannahChurchman.

Itsverychaotic.Ourtrackisrightaroundallthedoorssoifsomeoneiscomingin,itsalmostinourway,too,Churchmansaid.Whenbasketballisgoingon,itsveryloudinthereanditshardtohearourcoaches.

Havinganindoorfacilitywouldbenefitalltheteams.Northwestisnotaloneamonguniversitieslackingthequalityandquantityofpractice

spaceintheMidAmericaIntercollegiateAthleticAssociationseenasoneofthemosthistoricandcompetitiveconferencesinDivisionII.ThatiswhyPittsburgStatefinalizedandbrokegroundona$15millionstateoftheartfacilitythatisexpectedtobecompletedthisSpring.

PittsburgStateDirectorofDevelopmentofIntercollegiateAthleticsKendallGammonsaidthatinordertoputoutthebestproducttheathletesneededtheproperfacilities.Thetalksbegannearlyfouryearsagowhentheathleticdepartmentrealizedeachteamwasfightingforpracticetimeinsidetheuniversitysbasketballarenaandsurroundinghallways.

Itjustwasntadequate.Itwasnotevencontrolledchaos,quitehonestly,Gammonsaid.Itwasoutofneed.(Weede)wastoosmallforourneedsatthispoint.

PittsburgStatesRobertW.PlasterCenterfeaturesa100yardturffieldsurroundedbya300metertrack,and1,500seatsthatwillcomeinhandywhenitplayshosttothe2016and2018NCAAMensandWomensIndoorTrackChampionships.

The154,000squarefootfacilitywillalsoencompassa11,000squarefootweightandstrengthroom,incomparisontoNorthwests3,000squarefootfacility,aswellasoffices,meetingroomsandlockerroomsforthetrackandfieldandfootballteams.TheprojectispartofanoverallrenovationoftheWeedeAthleticComplex,whichwasbuiltin1971.

Anytimethatyoureabletotakeaperspectivestudentathleteintoa154,000squarefootbuilding,thatsaprettybigthing,Gammonsaid.WerenotsureiftheresactuallyfiveoftheseintheUS,letaloneDivisionII,witheverythingthatwehaveinthere.

SimilartotheGriffonIndoorSportsComplexatMissouriWesternthatopenedin2010,PittsburgStatesfacilitywillofferopportunitiesforthecommunitytoenjoythetrackandotheramenities,alongwiththepossibilityofintramuralsandcommunitysportsdowntheroad.

WithFortHayscompletinga50,000squarefootfacilitytohousea50yardindoorfootballfieldandweightroom,itisuptotherestoftheMIAAtojointhearmsracethisincludesNorthwest.

Withnoestablishedfiguresorfinalizedrenderings,theNorthwestathleticdepartmenthasheldinternaldialoguesincebeforeTjeerdsmatookoverasathleticdirectorandservedasoneofthereasonshereturnedtoMaryville.AspartoftheBearcatssincethe90s,upgradingthefacilitieswasavitalpartofTjeerdsmasplan.

IfeltbeforeIretiredthatwassomethingthatwereallyneed,Tjeerdsmaexplained.Ijustfeelrealstronglyaboutitnow.ItsnotjustfootballIfeelrealstronglyaboutourtrackandfieldprograms,andforbaseballandsoftballThosethreesportsdontreallyhavewhattheyneedrightnowanditsreallynotfairtoaskthemtocompeteinthisconferenceandcompeteagainstschoolsthathavethosetypeofthings.

WithNorthweststillinthequietphaseofits$45millionForeverGreencomprehensivecapitalcampaign,Northwestisinconversationwithalumnianddonorsaboutaproposedagriculturallearningcenterandindoorathleticsfacility.Tjeerdsmasaidtheplansmaybereleasedwithinsixmonthstoayear,butthereisstillplentyofworktobedone.

Itsstillrealearlystages.Weredoingalotofinvestigativestuffnow,meetingwithalotofdifferentgroups,withourcoaches,withrecreationpeople,intramurals,students,Tjeerdsmasaid.Itsabigprocessrightnow.Whenyouhaveaprojectasbigaswhatwerelookingat,ittakesalotofpeopleanditsalotofinvolvement.Youhavetoamassalotofmaterialandalotoffactsandstarttosimulatefromthere.

WithPittsburgStates$15millionfacilitynearingcompletionandTjeerdsmavisitingthefacilitybeforeChristmasbreak,ithasbecomeapparenthowNorthwestwantstoapproachthedesignofthecomplex.

(PittsburgStatesfacilityis)similartowhatwerethinkingaboutwewantsomethingthatsvery,verymultipurpose,Tjeerdsmasaid.Iguessweregoingtobeinthatneighborhood,somewhereinthere.

ThefacilitywouldgivemembersofeveryNorthwestsportaplacetopracticewhenweatherisnotcooperative,aswellasmanyotheroptionsintramurals,bandpractice,graduationceremoniesandconcert,alongwithmanyideasthatwouldbenefitthecommunity.

WhatMo.Westdoesatthistimeofyearisalotofyouthsoccer,baseballandsoftballinthereovertheweekends.Ithinkwecoulddothingslikethat,Tjeerdsmasaid.Therecouldbesomerevenuestreamingthere.ItwouldbeahugebenefittohighschoolsinthisareawithtrackTheresalotofbenefitsinalotofdifferentways.

ThoughPittsburgStatesprojectincludesrevenuefromstudentsfees,alumnidonationsandacitycontribution,TjeerdsmasaysNorthwestsproject,atthisphase,wouldbecompletelyfundedbydonorsandwilldictatehowfasttheprojectmoves.

IftherightdonorscomealonganddropthebigdollarsandsayThisissomethingwewant,itcomehappenprettyfast.Itcouldhappeninacoupleyears.Otherwise,itcouldtakelonger,hesaid.

WithNorthweststudentscontributinga$4feethatwillbeginduringthetrimestertheRobert&VirginiaFosterFitnessCenteropens,presumablyFall2015,Tjeerdsmasaystheideaofanotherstudentfeefundedprojectisjustspeculation.

OurstudentsreallysteppedupasfarasthefitnesscenterisconcernedIfourstudentsseethatandthequalityweregivingthemthenIthinkafterthattherecouldbeatimewherewetalkaboutanadditionalfee,Tjeersdmasaid.Thatsjustallspeculation,theresnothingatallplannedonthat.

TheproposedideaistokeepthefacilityontheSoutheastsideofcampusnearwherethecurrentfootballpracticefacilitiesare,withinaccessiblerangeofeveryteamandleavingminimaldisruptionstothearea.Withindoorfacilitiespoppingupacrossalldivisionsacrossthecountry,ithasbecomeasmuchabattlefortheextraedgewhenpracticingasmuchasitisontherecruitingtrailforplayersandcoaches.

WithaseasonliketheoneLoefaces,whereamajorityofgamesareplayedonartificialturffieldsandSouthinwarmerconditions,hecanseethedefiniteadvantageitwouldbringNorthwest.

Itwouldbetremendous,Loesaid.Itwouldbeahugebenefittoallsportstobeabletoutilizethespacewehavemuchbetter.(Baseballandsoftball)needalarge,openspacetopracticeandthewaywevedesignedthatfacility,itwouldbeveryuserfriendlytoallsportsinvolved.Atthistime,anyway,allofourwishesareunderoneroof.

ForTjeerdsma,itsasmuchaboutkeepingupwiththenationaltrendasgettingBearcatsathletessituatedwiththeproperspaceandequipment.

Itseparatesyou,Tjeerdsmasaid.Untilyouareactuallyinone(anindoorathleticfacility),youdontrealizethemagnitudeofit.

Therealwaysthatthought,thatcompetition,thatiftheyhaveit,maybeitssomethingweneedtoo.IthinkitssomethingthatwelookatWeneedtodosomethingfortrack,baseballandsoftballtheyrebehindtheeightball.

Thecompetitiontohavethebiggestvideoboard,thenicestfieldturfandthenicestlockerroomsisexactlywhyGammonandPittsburgStatehoppedonboardtorevolutionizetheathleticprograms.

Itsthenextevolution,Gammonsaid.Itsanarmsraceintermsofrecruitingthestudentathlete.Theonlythingworsethanbeinginthearmsraceisnotbeinginthearmsrace.