In case people haven't realized it yet, Longwood's Division I athletic teams have been showing up in increasing numbers in our recently constructed Health and Fitness Center. Previously, teams were confined to Willet, the old gymnasium, which has a weight room, POOL, and gym. Recently they were also granted full control over the Iler gym which used to be ROTC and Wrestling club territory. As if the Division I athletes don't have enough space to romp including their own fields and athletic trainers, they have now taken up residence in the Health and Fitness Center. Instead of just fighting the overwhelming crowd of normal students and faculty, we will now be competing with student athletes. Who wants to run on the track with a herd of Men's Soccer players bearing down on you? Or shoot hoops against our starting Point Guard on the barely D-I basketball squad. Well that's not too intimidating. But seriously, a bench-off against the juiced baseball players? Not my idea of recreation. So Longwood, we paid for it, we don't get paid to use it, how about keeping those athletes who we pay to play in their gym.
I know exactly what you mean - I went to run on the track at 7am the other day and the baseball team was in there half running laps and half walking them. But I tend to think in light of the recent weather that the reason all the athletes have been in the Health & Fitness Center is because it is too cold for them to do outdoor workouts. Maybe when the weather warms up, they'll leave the gym for the rest of the non-affiliated students...?
ReplyDeleteI agree that it's frustrating, especially during high traffic times, to have an added number of people using the gym. I remember the old gym in Willet and how hard it was for everyone to try to fit in there. Now that there is a different space alotted for different groups of students, special interest athletic groups should stay in their own gyms. If they are using them on their own personal time for fitness, that's fine. Having entire groups in there is another story.
ReplyDeleteI don't really ever use the Gym so this doesn't affect me at all, but i can see where it would be frustrating. If athletes already have their own spaces they should not be taking up room that is allocated for regular students.
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