2008 Woodie Awards
Fields of change
Gonzaga has improved its athletic facilities markedly over the last decade, revamping the basketball, baseball and soccer programs, among others. As the school and athletic department continue to grow, further changes will be in the works.
Kat Brackmann
Issue date: 11/21/08 Section: Sports
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In the last several years, the development of athletic facilities has been dramatic, said Chris Standiford, associate athletic director. The McCarthey Athletic Center, Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field and soccer stadium have all opened in recent years.
Since those facilities are virtually brand new, there are no plans to upgrade them, aside from the necessary upkeep such as replacing video equipment and sound systems. The exception would be the new soccer stadium, which still has three phases of construction before it is completed.
"The reality is we built [these facilities] with a view toward the future," Standiford said. "What we do is in the best interest of the program long term."
Standiford said the first-class facilities that Gonzaga now has are a big part of the future success of the athletic programs. He cited the new baseball complex as an example.
"There is no limitation on what baseball can do based on their physical facilities,"
Standiford said.
While the highest priority for the athletic department is completion of the soccer stadium, there is also a focus on constructing a facility for the tennis team, which was displaced to make room for the soccer stadium.
To address this, there are plans to construct a combined tennis and golf facility on Legacy Fields, south of Mission Park. The facility will be dominated by tennis with six indoor courts. The golf team will have a practice area roughly the size of one tennis court with a hitting area and golf green.
An indoor facility is very important to the golf and tennis teams as they are the most affected by Gonzaga's geographic location and climate, Standiford said. These teams start competing in the spring before they can even begin practicing outside, which is a disadvantage.
"Their ability to practice in preparation for the season indoors is essential to their success," Standiford said.
In regard to other sport programs, there are currently no plans to build new facilities for the crew, track and cross country teams.
The crew team utilizes the Charlotte Y. Martin Boathouse near Upriver Dam on the Spokane River during the fall season. In the spring, the team uses a non-university-owned facility on Silver Lake. In addition to outside practice facilities, the team also has an indoor rowing center that is about four years old and one of the best in the country, according to Standiford.
But while there are currently no projects on the drawing board, Standiford said there can be upgrades, such as running water and toilets.
As for a track facility, the most likely scenario is to find an off-campus facility
that Gonzaga and other schools or teams can share.
"Our goal would be for every athletic team we sponsor to have a facility for them to practice and compete in," Standiford said. However, it is not realistic for Gonzaga to have an on-campus track facility.
"We lack green space on this campus," Standiford said. "We are trying to utilize to our greatest ability the limited real estate that we have."
In addition to space, funding is also a major concern with building athletic facilities because the construction of all athletic facilities is entirely by donations. Tuition is not used to fund any part of the athletic department.
Therefore, the current state of the economy is somewhat troublesome for the athletic department. Many potential donors are willing to commit, but the timing is not appropriate, according to Standiford.
"We've had a few solicitations where people say they want to hold off until the situation changes," said Denis Kalina, associate athletic director for development. However, Kalina said the full impact of the economic downturn on the athletic department's revenues will not likely be seen until next spring or summer.
In the meantime, the athletic department will continue to seek out and communicate
with potential donors, including athlete alums and individuals in the Spokane area who have interest in a particular sport. From there, field agents in the athletic department work to determine what projects the donor is interested in supporting.
"A lot of times we think we know what their passion is," Kalina said. "But in discussions there is a possibility they might go in a different direction."
Therefore, cultivating strong relationships with donors is essential to the department's fundraising success.
"If you can match their passion and interest, they are more willing to give you more now and more in future," Kalina said.
The athletic department is not in a hurry. The planning process is a very important
piece of building a new facility, Standiford explained.
"To rush to construction is to doom the project," Standiford said. "Nothing happens quickly."
However, even with thorough planning, there are always unforeseen challenges
and opportunities.
"One thing I have learned is to predict the future is very risky," Standiford said. "But anything is possible."
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