Wellness and Recreation Complex
The Wellness and Recreation Complex and the Athletic Training/Exercise Science Complex opened September 2008 and were connected to the already existing Physical Education Complex and Art Linkletter Natatorium. The Wellness and Recreation Complex consists of the Wellness Center and the Field House, collectively. The Athletic Training/ Exercise Science Complex is conjoined to the Wellness Center and Recreation Complex and the Physical Education Complex.
The Wellness Center is a two-level, 47,840-square-foot building that offers cardio and weight-training space, a climbing and bouldering wall, four multipurpose teaching/activity spaces, fitness-testing laboratories, and more. The Field House is a two-level, 93,820-square-foot space, located adjacent to the Wellness Center. The facility incorporates a six-lane running track made of the same synthetic surface used at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 (a Mondo “FTX” running surface), four multipurpose courts, each with the ability to be closed off by a netting system, locker rooms, a fully equipped 9,000-square-foot strength and conditioning facility, concessions, restrooms, and storage facilities. The Fieldhouse provides multi-purpose space for classes, athletic team practices and competitions, and campus recreation programs. The Athletic Training/ Exercise Science Complex is a two-story, 18,900 square-foot facility. The first floor houses a comprehensive athletic training center with an academic lab to support classes and preparation of athletic training majors. It is also used to provide direct services to student athletes with injuries. The Exercise Science Center is located on the second floor, and it includes classrooms, offices, state-of-the-art laboratories and research space for the study of all aspects of human performance.
The Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Field House and Wellness Center was held on Friday, May 11, 2007 at 11:30 am. The Dedication and Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for the Wellness Center, Field House, and Athletic Training/ Exercise Science Complex was held on Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 12:00 pm. The dedication remarks were made by Dr. James E. Walsh, a member of the Board of Trustees and Springfield College President Dr. Richard B. Flynn. After the ribbon cutting, tours of the facilities followed.
The Wellness and Recreation Complex received the 2009 Outstanding Sports Facilities Award from the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA), an annual award recognizing innovative designs that are model collegiate recreational facilities. It was one of six winning entries chosen from colleges and universities around the country.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The collection documents the building and initial year of the complex of buildings known as the Wellness Center, the Field House, and the Athletic Training/Exercise Science Center Buildings that were opened in 2009. The majority of the collection consists of ground breaking programs and the dedication materials, including a DVD with the video of the ceremonies, for the 2009 ribbon cutting or dedication ceremonies. There are also many photographs taken right before or after the ribbon cutting ceremonies. This mostly consists of interior shots from the different parts of the buildings, although there are some exterior photographs as well. In addition there are eight Architectural Drawings of different aspects of the complex on matte board from Dilullo Associates, Inc, dated Progress Set April 26, 2007 and a colored drawing titled “Recreation Complex Conceptual Plan – Upper Level” dated September 9, 2004.
