While at the USF Athletic Facility today......

[IncrediBULL]

So my daughter is at a USF soccer camp this week.  Very cool, being conducted by USF coaches, trainers, and players.

But that is not the purpose of this post.  I toured the Athletic facility today - which I have been in for events but not toured before.  The Football players are in the weight room and what a facility that is.  They Physical Therapy room is phenomenal.  I was impressed with the number of offices for head coaches and assistants (not just football, every sport).  The Student Athlete Computer Lab, and tutor rooms were pretty cool as well.  Clearly football permeates throught the facility as FB and MBB are the key $$$$ maker programs there.

What I really liked was the NFL wall.  They have helmets for every NFL team (actually cut in half and mounted on teh wall), and underneath have the USF player names who played for each of those teams.  Obviously many of teams have no names on the plaques underneath.  But, as a recruit, a kid could see themselves becoming a pro and getting their name on the wall. 

Also nice is that the facilty is coed.  The Track, volleyball, soccer, w basketball and football teams all had players either in the weight room, or in and around teh facility.  I heard some of the football players (who were coming from outside warm ups) yell to some of the girls track members who they knew.  It really creates a fellowship of USF student athletes. 

I was extremely impressed.  Clearly this building should be a draw to players who want to compete.  It has everything any student athlete could want. 

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who have visited the USF facility, and hear your thoughts.  Or anyone who has been to another facility and can offer a comparison. 

[smazza]

sounds like facility is as good as advertised

[Rizman]

Incredibull, have my trip scheduled for later this week.  I will let you know.

[SANJAY]

I toured the building right before the bowl game.  The NFL helmet wall was pretty new and pretty neat.  There is also a wall mural of the sold-out RayJay against WVU-very neat.  The facilities are great.  The therapy pools and weight room are top notch. 

[Donno]

I have toured it several times...

It is as good if not better than most professional facilities.

It has so many toys...  I am always jealous every time I go back.

The underwater treadmills with video are awesome.

Every weight bench station has wood floors with the "U" on it... I would have never left

[JoeB]

It is pretty sweet.  I toured it back before the Pizza Bowl.  The secretary was a really nice lady who was with them when we had the portables.  She was very excited to give us a tour.  In fact, we went in to purchase the 10 year DVD and ended up getting an impromptu tour from the secretary.  You could tell she was just proud to work in that building.

[IncrediBULL]

One of my clients was the GC on the building and held their annual event there, but I didn't get a tour of the entire facility.  CRM was there back before CSH. 

They have added the bull in the lobby and the trophy cases.  Cool one on football - lots of memorabilia from an 11 year old program.

Also in teh weight room there is a football hall of fame wall with replays of various games from the past on at all times, along with records set by various players. 

The football players were using the weight room as it was their scheduled time.  We have some beasts this year watching the way they were throwing around bars filled with 45's.  Made me feel small and I'm 6 ' 3".  It was nice to see how hard they are all working out at the "optional fitness training" sessions.  Shows that these guys are serious and care about being the best.  It looked like pretty much the entire team was present (at least 65 - 70 players were present).

The Track is being torn up at the soccer stadium and replaced with the exact same material as is being used at the Olymmpic track in China.  Only 4 NCAA schools will have that.

MBB got a $7M donation and will be building there own training faciity where the outdoor courts are now and may have a tunnel or walkway to the sundome from there.  Currently they practice and play in the same facility.  CSH wanted the change.

Also, they plan to build a new soccer stadium for Mens/W soccer up on the hill where the football portables used to be.  They are trying to work with the new Rowdies but sounds like they have already selected their land and that may be a done deal.  Stupid as they could have combined forces and really built something nice on campus.

[Bullschmutz]

I like the NFL Wall.

Shows clearly we have taken a new direction in recruiting. Just a few years ago Leavitt himself said that we were not a pipeline to the NFL.

[BullsOnThaRize8]

as a former player using the facility, it really is awesome. The weight room alone is great, always filled with multiple teams. The locker rooms are continually being upgraded, when I went back after Prado took over and walked in the locker room, they had added leather couch and some new features which made it look great. The study area is great which is where you can actually meet most of the other athletes. It really is a family atmosphere in the building.

[Rizman]

Had my tour of the USF Athletic facility and the first words that comes to my mind is unbullievable.  That was an amazing tour. Now I know why we are getting the recruites and the interest. 

First, all athletes get a locker for their workout clothes and on the other side of the locker wall is a area with washing machines so they can be cleaned.  The clothes are washed and then put back into the the lockers from the backside.  They have shoe drying wall that after practice the players can put the cleats for drying.  Amazing. 

The training room is state of art and the weight room is the size of my Golds Gym and has better equipment.

Study hall area is very nice and the number of people assigned to a student to make sure they graduate is impressive.

In the weight room that have blenders, yep for protein shakes and liquids designed to replenish your fluids.  Signs on the wall remind them to eat greens (list the recommended ones as well) so that they can absorb the protens that the are putting into their bodies. 

Pool table for the football players in their locker room, plus each locker area has its how combo lock on the footlocker inbedded into the locker design.  Very sweet.

The office area upstairs is very impressive especially the football offices and room that is designed for the football players to go over tapes and discuss game performances.

Closing thoughts:  That facility generates pride and it has reminders all around to inspire them to achieve.  Even though it is a couple of years old it seems brand new to me.  That facility helps is a reminder of what they want to achieve and keeps all the staff and players focused.

USF did it right, that was an awesome tour.