In the past few years, student enrollment at Greenhill has steadily increased. Athletic fitness and training programs have also expanded, and that has strained the capacity of existing sports facilities.
Now, with the recent opening of the Valdes STEM + Innovation Center, Greenhill is poised to undertake a $28.2 million construction plan aimed at upgrading campus athletic facilities.
“Sometimes when multiple teams are scheduled to work out in the [High Performance Center], it can be difficult to have your own space during a workout,” junior Brynn Zawadzki said. “So, it is really exciting that there is a new facility on the way.”
The centerpiece of the plan will be a new Athletic Performance Center for indoor and outdoor workouts. Other components will include a multi-sport synthetic turf field and new tennis courts.
The Athletic Performance Center will house a new weightroom, locker rooms for outdoor sports, a concession stand, indoor areas to socialize, a viewing deck and satellite training facilities.
The performance center will be connected to the current turf practice field, f which will serve as an extension of the training facility.
“There are going to be brand new state-of-the-art facilities no matter what sport you play,” Head of School Lee Hark said in an interview.
Big Picture
Hark offered a glimpse of the future in an email to families on Feb. 28. In his message, he explained that the next phase of the Growing Stronger Together fundraising campaign will facilitate the enhancement of Greenhill athletic programs.
“The hope is to not only improve the athletic experience of existing student athletes and coaches, but also attract families who may be interested in Greenhill for the athletic experience it will provide,” Hark said in his Evergreen interview.
In his email to families, Hark also talked about the scope and focus of the athletics initiative.
“As we started work on the STEM building, we also worked to identify the top priorities for athletics as well,” Hark wrote. “Over time, it became clear that our most critical need – and the facility that would have the greatest impact on our student body – was to expand the [High Performance Center].”
Associate Head of School Kendra Grace, who also serves as the school’s chief financial officer and chief operating officer, said in an email that the target is to “break ground on these projects in September.”
Once the Athletic Performance Center is finished, work will start on the new tennis courts. The long-term plan is to move the tennis courts to the southwest corner of campus. Until then, the current courts will remain in use.
After the tennis courts are completed, a new regulation-size turf field will be constructed.
“We feel like our students should have a space to fully optimize their potential, especially those who want to play in college,” said Director of Sports Performance Jessen Houston. “We wanted to make sure we have a space to fully facilitate that.”
Many student athletes spoke favorably about the plans.
“I am really excited that Greenhill athletes are going to be able to use these new facilities,” junior Jenna Travers said. “I think that it will strengthen the sports programs here.”
Building Community
School administrators and members of the Athletic Department have used the construction and design process to find ways to improve the most important aspects of the current sports facilities. Along with this, the Athletic Department is aiming to bring the community together and create a better environment for sports at Greenhill, according to Hark and Grace.
“These [facilities] are an opportunity for us to continue to strengthen the community,” said Hark in the Evergreen interview.
One of the ways that the new facilities will build community is through bridging the gender inequality gap in sports.
Currently, there are some disparities in the facilities that female and male athletes at Greenhill use. Hark says the new facilities should create a more equitable environment.
“We tried to be very thoughtful about the locker room facilities that we are providing,” Hark said in the Evergreen interview. “We wanted there to be no differences for what we were providing girls and boys field sports.”
The arrangement of the new facilities will allow all sports to practice on the west side of campus together, something that isn’t possible now with the scattered layout of campus athletic fields and practice facilities. The new synthetic-turf field will also allow all sports to be played on the same side of campus.
The new layout will help build community among Greenhill athletes, according to Head of Athletics and Physical Education Jarrett Shine.
Another anticipated benefit of the new synthetic-turf field will be a higher level of practice and game play, especially during inclement weather.
“Since the ball moves slower on grass, the new fields will allow us to play quicker and better field hockey,” said sophomore varsity field hockey player Valentina Casas-Sayek.
Collaborative Effort
The planning phase has been a collaborative effort involving Greenhill sports administrators and coaches.
“We’ve been discussing, brainstorming and planning these facilities for the better part of the last three years.” said Hark.
One significant long-term benefit that the athletics upgrade is expected to produce is the cultivation of alumni pride and projection of Greenhill’s vision, according to Hark.
“When Bernard Fulton founded Greenhill in 1950, his ambition was for Greenhill to be the best school in the nation,” Hark wrote in the February email to families. “It is an honor and a privilege to continue the work he started 75 years ago. This [athletics] campaign will help move us closer to that goal.”
