Completed Athletic Performance Center already elevating student-athlete experience

The training experience of student-athletes at Roanoke College has changed dramatically thanks to the new Athletic Performance Center, an 8,500-square-foot facility located in Alumni Gym.  

The center, completed on Aug. 27, serves as a centrally located strength and conditioning facility for the college’s 28 varsity teams. Scott Bennett, head strength and conditioning coach, said that athletes who utilize the facility will automatically gain a competitive edge. Sixty-seven donors contributed to the Athletic Performance Center.

“We are so grateful to all our incredible donors who helped make the Athletic Performance Center a reality,” said Athletic Director Curtis Campbell. “Having a facility of this caliber will help our current students to get bigger, stronger and faster; at the same time, it enables them to reach their full potential. Prospective students will see this center, along with our other top-notch athletic facilities, and know that Roanoke College is serious about athletics.” 

Space was always a challenge previously, but the new facility has enough room for multiple teams to train at the same time. Extra room means more equipment: Where the facility previously had two full sets of dumbbells, it now has 12, and instead of seven half racks, it has 12 three-station multi racks. Other additions include two sets of leg presses and a belt squat, which are especially beneficial for athletes with shoulder or spinal injuries, allowing them to still develop their lower body strength, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Izzy O’Connell said.   

The facility’s most eye-catching feature—a 30-by-10-yard patch of custom turf, complete with Rooney in the center—is also one of its most practical additions. The turf opens the door for athletes to do change- of- direction agility drills and more extensive warmups. It also allows them to push sleds inside without scratching the wooden floors.   

“It’s a breath of fresh air for Scott and me to come in here,” O’Connell said. “We can get creative with our programming, and we can make the most of how we provide for the athletes.” 

With student-athletes making up more than one third of enrollment at Roanoke, an upgraded facility that could better meet their needs was crucial, Bennett said. The previous strength and conditioning facility was small and sometimes couldn’t even accommodate all the members of one team at once. Last year, for example, the wrestling roster was so large that they had to split the team into two groups, each training for an hour and a half at a time.  

“It got the job done for the athletes that were utilizing the space, but with how large our student-athlete population is, and how competitive the ODAC is, it was important to make sure that we have the facilities to support that job,” he said.  

Ashlyn Berry '26, now in her fourth season on the women’s soccer team, recalled her training experience during her freshman year left something to be desired. Her training improved once Bennett and O’Connell joined the Athletic Department, and the Athletic Performance Center has served to enhance her experience further. 

“Even today, we started a new program and there were movements in there that I’ve never done before, and I’ve been weightlifting for probably six years now,” Berry said. “Having new resources means that we can have new exercises, and that’s been really nice.” 

The Athletic Performance Center also features some technological upgrades. Bennett and O’Connell utilize an app called TeamBuildr, which allows them to send workouts directly to athletes’ phones. Through the app, they can predict maximums on specific lifts, monitor workloads, specify training intensity and modify workouts in real time. They’re also using an accelerometer that measures bar speed in meters per second, allowing them to monitor velocity-based training routines with immediate data analysis. To make that happen, they partnered with the Engineering Department and Bryan Cobb, associate professor of engineering science. 

“I think it represents the spirit of Roanoke College that if we’re going to do something for any student on this campus, we’re going to try to do it well and give them the best experience they can possibly have,” Bennett said.