More Opportunity to Get in the Game

Highmark Center will provide additional space and more time for recreational and educational athletics

Participating with a university recreational sports team is fun. Finding space for games and practices when the options are limited is not. With the new Highmark Center for Health, Wellness and Athletics, that’s about to change for the better.

“It’s going to be really impactful to everyone,” says Emma Nilson, a senior student-athlete studying architecture.

Nilsonis a member of the university’s track team, but it’s opportunities for fitness classes and rec sports that she views as advantageous to the entire student body, not just varsity athletes.

“With all of the new courts that the building is going to house, it will open up time slots for other people. It gives more chances for people to use spaces, whether they are a Division III athlete or compete in other ways,” she says.

With the 160,000 feet of new space being added by the Highmark Center for Health, Wellness and Athletics, rec sports players will soon find a lot of new options.

“Before, only one team could play at a time. Now, multiple teams can practice simultaneously. That means time for rec sports will open hours earlier than it used to, and it’s indoor space so we can play throughout the year without concerns about weather,” says Josh Centor, associate vice president of student affairs and director of athletics.

Sara Gauntner, associate director of athletics, is excited for the expanded variety of sports offered as well.

“The new space will mean more ability to reserve space for general recreation, and especially court sports including basketball, volleyball and badminton. We’ll also be able to accommodate pick-up games. Perhaps an emerging trend like pickleball will be able to expand dramatically, too,” she says.

New Options for PhysEd

With more hours, spaces and opportunities for students to practice, the new space is significant as a place to learn as well as a place to play.

“We have more opportunities to program creatively for physical education and offer a greater variety of credit-bearing classes,” Centor says. “As an example, instead of only having soccer classes during the good-weather months outside, we can hold one indoors during the winter. We’ll be able to meet demand where we haven’t before. We can’t wait to see the positive impact on our students’ experience.

Gauntner expects these options to be wildly popular. Some PE classes are currently offered in the Cohon University Center and Tepper Quad fitness centers, but enrollment demands outpace availability, so waitlists are common.

“Much like the expansion to the CUC in 2016 and Tepper in 2018, our programs and participation grew exponentially with the additional studios and weight room spaces,” she says. “We were able to offer more programs, hire more students and have more spaces for our campus community to decompress, socialize in the new fitness spaces, and take care of their fitness and health.”

Nilson agrees that care for fitness and health is a huge benefit, not just in the expansion of space, but the opportunities it creates.

“A lot of people think that the building is entirely just for athletics, but there’s a big health and wellness part to it, too,” she says. “Whether it's my teammates or my friends and I taking a fitness class or playing together, it’s an opportunity for stress relief and to have a nice moment to focus on ourselves and our own well-being. It’s just going to be such an important building on campus.”