Georgia State’s football team awaits final city approval for the construction of their new strength and conditioning facility, according to Georgia State Associate Director of Sports Communications, Mike Holmes.
“We are not yet ready to go, but once the last piece of paperwork is approved, we’ll be making progress,” he said. “It could happen in the next few hours or the next couple of days.”
Holmes said the training complex, which will house various exercise equipment, is necessary because all university athletics currently share the same facilities.
“We have one [complex] for the entire athletic department but it’s not big enough for 350 student athletes to share,” he said.
The new facility will share the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive address with the football practice fields, according to Holmes.
“Currently, there are two football fields; a full regulation 120-yard turf field and a 60-yard grass field,” he said. “The strength and conditioning site will go on that grass field.”
Holmes said the new building will be prefabricated by the construction company at a different location.
“It’s a building that’s built off-site, but they can just drop it on site,” he said. “…They build it in a warehouse, take it apart in bigger chunks and put it together at the new site.”
Holmes also said the new facility could cost up to a million dollars, none of which will come from the pockets of students.
“It’s all private donations,” he said. “No student fees can go into constructing these facilities.”
Although Georgia State recently unveiled tentative plans for the redevelopment of Turner Field, Holmes said the installation of this strength and conditioning facility was coordinated with speed and efficiency in mind.
“There’s a plan [for Turner Field] but we’re still way off from that,” he said “…Everything there should go by pretty quick to keep that August 1 goal in place.”
The football coaching staff believes the implementation of these training facilities will benefit their season to come, according to Holmes.
“From talking with the coaches, [expectations] are extremely positive,” he said. “It should help them train quickly and efficiently.”
Georgia State psychology student Claire McGrath said she also anticipates that the use of the new practice facilities will yield a rewarding outcome for the football team.
“Practice makes perfect,” she said. “In football, part of practice is strength and conditioning. Newer facilities will not only help our current players become better athletes, but also help our ability as a team to recruit future players.”
