Wilmington College breaks ground on Center for Sport Sciences
Wilmington College broke ground Tuesday, Sept. 16 on its $8.4 million facility that blends academic, athletic, recreational and commercial components into its Center for Sport Sciences.
The 41,000 square-foot complex is at the site of the former Charlie Gilhart Soccer Field just south of Hermann Court and the YMCA. It is on track for completion in summer 2015.
The Center for Sport Sciences will not only be home to WC’s nationally prominent athletic training program, but will accommodate training for essentially all of the College’s 21 sports teams, in addition to giving students additional options for recreational activities.
Furthermore, the Center will host a one-stop shop for the area’s sports medicine needs as world class orthopaedic, physical therapy and hospital imaging services will all be under one roof and available to the campus and greater community.
Indeed, Beacon Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Drayer Physical Therapy and Clinton Memorial Hospital will each have satellite branches at the facility.
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Wilmington College President Jim Reynolds described it as a “great example of a powerful public/private partnership” that will greatly benefit students’ hands-on learning opportunities. Also, he said the prospect of having two concurrent building projects — the Center for Sport Sciences and the Center for the Sciences and Agriculture — is having an energizing effect throughout the campus and alumni communities.
"This is our moment in history," Reynolds said at the ground-breaking ceremony.
Terry Rupert, vice president for athletics administration, said the Center for Sport Sciences will be “a total sport facility like no other” at the NCAA Division III level.
“The Center will directly impact well over half of our student body as they engage in their academic, athletic and recreational pursuits, and will be an especially appealing attraction for prospective students,” he said. “It will provide a ‘hands-on’ facility for student-athletes and athletic training students to develop their skills in their quest for excellence.”
On Tuesday, Rupert said, "I'm going to paraphrase the baseball great, Yogi Berra and say, 'I want to thank all of you for making this day necessary.'"
Larry Howard, director of WC’s athletic training program, stressed how the commercial endeavors will complement teaching and learning.
“Having such strong College partners as Beacon, Drayer and CMH, these sports medicine-related businesses provide value added to an outstanding facility,” he said. “These will provide athletic training majors with access to multiple on-campus clinical sites for additional hands-on learning.”
Howard called the Center “a dream come true” for him and the AT program. It coincides with Beacon’s Dr. Timothy Kremchek serving as WC’s new medical director.
“Dr. Kremchek has also been the Cincinnati Reds’ medical director for 18 years,” he said. “Our students now have the opportunity to learn from one of the best orthopaedic surgeons in the nation thanks to this new partnership and building project.”
Howard added that the new facility will also provide the much needed room to “grow the AT program” and to explore adding additional academic programs.
The facility, which is located within easy access of WC’s contiguous sports venues, will offer such amenities as two in-ground hydrotherapy pools, electrical muscle stimulators, and cryo-compression and ultrasound units.
The Center’s 17,400 square-foot sport training facility will provide for an all-indoor area with artificial turf playing surface. The complex’s west end will open to an outdoor, lighted training field with an artificial turf surface for multiple sports and intramurals.