PreparationscontinueforindoorpracticefacilityatNorthwest

TwodaysbeforespringclassesbeginforstudentsatNorthwest,Bearcatsbaseball
coachDarinLoehashisplayersreporttocampustobeginpracticewiththeregularseason
justweeksaway.
BeginningMondayat6a.m.,Loesplayersknowtheyareexpectedinthebasementof
LamkinHallforhittingpracticeinthethreebattingtunnelsandpitching.Intheevening,the
athletesmaketheirwaytoBearcatArenaforthrowingandcatchingexercises.
WeutilizewhatwecanAllathleteswanttogetbackandgetreadyforthespring,
andwejustdonthavealotofspacetodoit,Loesaid.Overthenextthreeweeks,thats
goingtobedifficultaswerealltryingtobeaspreparedaswecanbeforourspringseasons.
InthemidstofBearcatbaseballpractice,though,anumberofotherathletes,and
students,filethroughthespaceforconditioningandtrainingoftheirown.
Simplyput,thespacedoesnotaccommodateall14NCAADivisionIIteamsat
Northwestnotincludingcheerleadinganddancesquads.Atauniversitythatoffersawide
arrayoffitnessandrecreationalopportunitiestomorethan6,000students,timesgettoughfor
teamsseekingtheproperpreparationwhentheweatherdoesnotcooperate.
Forexample,whensoccercoachTracyHozaisdaysawayfromamatchandher
outdoorfieldsareflooded,hergirlsmoveintothebasementofLamkinHall,MartindaleHallor
totheStudentRecCenterforconditioning,ortotheracquetballcourtsforfootworkdrills.
Wemakedo,Hozasaid.Wehavetoimprovisealot.However,intheoffseasonwith
thecoldweatherweusethefacilitiesthebestthatwecanYouhavetousewhatyouhave
available.
WhileBearcatArenahousesthebasketballandvolleyballteams,baseballandsoftball
tendtojointennisandtrackforpracticetime,anditcangethecticforathletesofthetrack
teamlikeseniormultieventathleteHannahChurchman.
Itsverychaotic.Ourtrackisrightaroundallthedoorssoifsomeoneiscomingin,its
almostinourway,too,Churchmansaid.Whenbasketballisgoingon,itsveryloudinthere
anditshardtohearourcoaches.
Havinganindoorfacilitywouldbenefitalltheteams.
Northwestisnotaloneamonguniversitieslackingthequalityandquantityofpractice
spaceintheMidAmericaIntercollegiateAthleticAssociationseenasoneofthemosthistoric
andcompetitiveconferencesinDivisionII.ThatiswhyPittsburgStatefinalizedandbroke
groundona$15millionstateoftheartfacilitythatisexpectedtobecompletedthisSpring.
PittsburgStateDirectorofDevelopmentofIntercollegiateAthleticsKendallGammon
saidthatinordertoputoutthebestproducttheathletesneededtheproperfacilities.The
talksbegannearlyfouryearsagowhentheathleticdepartmentrealizedeachteamwas
fightingforpracticetimeinsidetheuniversitysbasketballarenaandsurroundinghallways.
Itjustwasntadequate.Itwasnotevencontrolledchaos,quitehonestly,Gammon
said.Itwasoutofneed.(Weede)wastoosmallforourneedsatthispoint.
PittsburgStatesRobertW.PlasterCenterfeaturesa100yardturffieldsurroundedby
a300metertrack,and1,500seatsthatwillcomeinhandywhenitplayshosttothe2016and
2018NCAAMensandWomensIndoorTrackChampionships.
The154,000squarefootfacilitywillalsoencompassa11,000squarefootweightand
strengthroom,incomparisontoNorthwests3,000squarefootfacility,aswellasoffices,
meetingroomsandlockerroomsforthetrackandfieldandfootballteams.Theprojectispart
ofanoverallrenovationoftheWeedeAthleticComplex,whichwasbuiltin1971.

Anytimethatyoureabletotakeaperspectivestudentathleteintoa
154,000squarefootbuilding,thatsaprettybigthing,Gammonsaid.Werenotsureif
theresactuallyfiveoftheseintheUS,letaloneDivisionII,witheverythingthatwehavein
there.
SimilartotheGriffonIndoorSportsComplexatMissouriWesternthatopenedin2010,
PittsburgStatesfacilitywillofferopportunitiesforthecommunitytoenjoythetrackandother
amenities,alongwiththepossibilityofintramuralsandcommunitysportsdowntheroad.
WithFortHayscompletinga50,000squarefootfacilitytohousea50yardindoor
footballfieldandweightroom,itisuptotherestoftheMIAAtojointhearmsracethis
includesNorthwest.
Withnoestablishedfiguresorfinalizedrenderings,theNorthwestathleticdepartment
hasheldinternaldialoguesincebeforeTjeerdsmatookoverasathleticdirectorandservedas
oneofthereasonshereturnedtoMaryville.AspartoftheBearcatssincethe90s,upgrading
thefacilitieswasavitalpartofTjeerdsmasplan.
IfeltbeforeIretiredthatwassomethingthatwereallyneed,Tjeerdsmaexplained.I
justfeelrealstronglyaboutitnow.ItsnotjustfootballIfeelrealstronglyaboutourtrackand
fieldprograms,andforbaseballandsoftballThosethreesportsdontreallyhavewhatthey
needrightnowanditsreallynotfairtoaskthemtocompeteinthisconferenceandcompete
againstschoolsthathavethosetypeofthings.
WithNorthweststillinthequietphaseofits$45millionForeverGreencomprehensive
capitalcampaign,Northwestisinconversationwithalumnianddonorsaboutaproposed
agriculturallearningcenterandindoorathleticsfacility.Tjeerdsmasaidtheplansmaybe
releasedwithinsixmonthstoayear,butthereisstillplentyofworktobedone.
Itsstillrealearlystages.Weredoingalotofinvestigativestuffnow,meetingwitha
lotofdifferentgroups,withourcoaches,withrecreationpeople,intramurals,students,
Tjeerdsmasaid.Itsabigprocessrightnow.Whenyouhaveaprojectasbigaswhatwere
lookingat,ittakesalotofpeopleanditsalotofinvolvement.Youhavetoamassalotof
materialandalotoffactsandstarttosimulatefromthere.
WithPittsburgStates$15millionfacilitynearingcompletionandTjeerdsmavisitingthe
facilitybeforeChristmasbreak,ithasbecomeapparenthowNorthwestwantstoapproachthe
designofthecomplex.
(PittsburgStatesfacilityis)similartowhatwerethinkingaboutwewantsomething
thatsvery,verymultipurpose,Tjeerdsmasaid.Iguessweregoingtobeinthat
neighborhood,somewhereinthere.
ThefacilitywouldgivemembersofeveryNorthwestsportaplacetopracticewhen
weatherisnotcooperative,aswellasmanyotheroptionsintramurals,bandpractice,
graduationceremoniesandconcert,alongwithmanyideasthatwouldbenefitthecommunity.
WhatMo.Westdoesatthistimeofyearisalotofyouthsoccer,baseballandsoftball
inthereovertheweekends.Ithinkwecoulddothingslikethat,Tjeerdsmasaid.Therecould
besomerevenuestreamingthere.Itwouldbeahugebenefittohighschoolsinthisareawith
trackTheresalotofbenefitsinalotofdifferentways.
ThoughPittsburgStatesprojectincludesrevenuefromstudentsfees,alumni
donationsandacitycontribution,TjeerdsmasaysNorthwestsproject,atthisphase,wouldbe
completelyfundedbydonorsandwilldictatehowfasttheprojectmoves.
IftherightdonorscomealonganddropthebigdollarsandsayThisissomethingwe
want,itcomehappenprettyfast.Itcouldhappeninacoupleyears.Otherwise,itcouldtake
longer,hesaid.

WithNorthweststudentscontributinga$4feethatwillbeginduringthetrimesterthe
Robert&VirginiaFosterFitnessCenteropens,presumablyFall2015,Tjeerdsmasaysthe
ideaofanotherstudentfeefundedprojectisjustspeculation.
OurstudentsreallysteppedupasfarasthefitnesscenterisconcernedIfour
studentsseethatandthequalityweregivingthemthenIthinkafterthattherecouldbeatime
wherewetalkaboutanadditionalfee,Tjeersdmasaid.Thatsjustallspeculation,theres
nothingatallplannedonthat.
TheproposedideaistokeepthefacilityontheSoutheastsideofcampusnearwhere
thecurrentfootballpracticefacilitiesare,withinaccessiblerangeofeveryteamandleaving
minimaldisruptionstothearea.Withindoorfacilitiespoppingupacrossalldivisionsacross
thecountry,ithasbecomeasmuchabattlefortheextraedgewhenpracticingasmuchasit
isontherecruitingtrailforplayersandcoaches.
WithaseasonliketheoneLoefaces,whereamajorityofgamesareplayedon
artificialturffieldsandSouthinwarmerconditions,hecanseethedefiniteadvantageitwould
bringNorthwest.
Itwouldbetremendous,Loesaid.Itwouldbeahugebenefittoallsportstobeable
toutilizethespacewehavemuchbetter.(Baseballandsoftball)needalarge,openspaceto
practiceandthewaywevedesignedthatfacility,itwouldbeveryuserfriendlytoallsports
involved.Atthistime,anyway,allofourwishesareunderoneroof.
ForTjeerdsma,itsasmuchaboutkeepingupwiththenationaltrendasgetting
Bearcatsathletessituatedwiththeproperspaceandequipment.
Itseparatesyou,Tjeerdsmasaid.Untilyouareactuallyinone(anindoorathletic
facility),youdontrealizethemagnitudeofit.
Therealwaysthatthought,thatcompetition,thatiftheyhaveit,maybeitssomething
weneedtoo.IthinkitssomethingthatwelookatWeneedtodosomethingfortrack,
baseballandsoftballtheyrebehindtheeightball.
Thecompetitiontohavethebiggestvideoboard,thenicestfieldturfandthenicest
lockerroomsisexactlywhyGammonandPittsburgStatehoppedonboardtorevolutionize
theathleticprograms.
Itsthenextevolution,Gammonsaid.Itsanarmsraceintermsofrecruitingthe
studentathlete.Theonlythingworsethanbeinginthearmsraceisnotbeinginthearms
race.