Davidson Athletics: An Enhancement to the Baker Sports Complex
12/14/2012 5:00:00 PM | DAF
The $15M facility will directly impact the student-athlete experience.
Davidson looks forward to the future for athletics as we raise funds for construction of a new $15,000,000 athletic facility, which will be an enhancement to the Baker Sports Complex. Currently Baker Sports Complex welcomes more than 90,000 patrons annually, and the new space will feature the following:
- Practice courts for men's and women's basketball and volleyball
- Locker rooms, team rooms, and film rooms for men's and women's basketball
- Administrative offices for men's and women's basketball
- A dance center with two studios, office space, and storage
- Cardio/fitness room for students, faculty, and staff
- A classroom for health and wellness instruction for students, faculty, and staff
- A new ticket office with internal and external ticket windows
- A new game day main entrance easily accessible from the parking lot
- Expanded Basil Boyd Training Room
Davidson's vibrant athletics community and unwavering commitment to support 21 Division I sports presents immediate cause for a facility of this nature. Additionally, the College's flourishing dance program and engaged club and intramural sports programs add to list of regular consumers of already overused spaces. This facility will have a direct impact on the Davidson student athlete experience — both varsity and otherwise — and will increase access to practice and training facilities. This expansion, in turn, will alleviate scheduling burdens as it relates to space in the Baker Sports Complex, resulting in a more balanced approach to athletics and academics.
The Direct Impact
Men's Basketball and Women's basketball and volleyball: Davidson College's men's basketball and women's basketball and volleyball programs currently function with a single game and practice floor. Limited space results in staggered practices for our programs, particularly as the competition seasons overlap. Consequently, our athletes miss dinner, study groups, and opportunities to participate in traditional student activities. Additional court space will remedy these challenges.
Dance: Davidson's new academic Dance Program continues to grow with two studio-based classes offered currently and a third proposed for spring. In addition to full academic dance classes, current dance space is used by Davidson's five active dance organizations: Dance Ensemble, Gamut Student Dance Company, Davidson Dance Team, Shades of Brown step team, and the Swing and Salsa Club. The new center for dance will support our heavily subscribed academic and extracurricular dance activities.
Club Sports and Intramurals: Intramural and club sports, in which over 600 students participate each year, have also suffered as a result of limited indoor court space. Additional gym space would increase student participation by 60%.
Timeline
Construction of the facility will begin pending completion of fundraising and approval of the College's Board of Trustees.
Donor Stories
Join us as we prepare for the future of athletics at Davidson College! Please contact Annie Porges, Director of the Davidson Athletic Foundation, for information on ways you can help bring this project to life. Annie can be reached by phone (704-894-2395) or email (anporges@davidson.edu).
