KSU Sports & Recreation Park opens
Click here to view video of the KSU Sports & Recreation Park opening.
KENNESAW, Ga. (Oct…
Georgia
(Oct 2, 2009) —
Click here to view video of the KSU Sports & Recreation Park opening.
KENNESAW, Ga. (Oct. 2, 2009) — The new KSU Sports & Recreation Park formally opened its doors today amidst a ribbon-cutting
ceremony, a coin toss, exhibitions of rugby, cheer, lacrosse and other club and intramural
sports, and Open House tours of the new Owls Nest.
The first phase of the KSU Sports & Recreation Park –– featuring two state-of-the-art
synthetic-turf fields and the 16,000-square-foot Owls Nest indoor training facility
–– was completed in late September. The new park spreads across a 14-acre parcel,
part of 88 acres of new KSU land located east of Interstate 75 recently purchased
by the KSU Foundation to be developed into much-needed sports fields and recreational
facilities.
“The KSU Sports & Recreation Park will play a major role in the continuing transformation
of this university,” said Daniel S. Papp, president of Kennesaw State University.
“The two new fields and the Owls Nest are great additions to the university’s infrastructure.
Yet, this new park does more than provide much-needed facilities. It enables more
KSU students to participate in intramural and club sports. When this project is fully
complete, it will take our campus to a whole new level.”
As varsity sports at KSU have reached National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
Division I status, the university’s intramural and club sports also are poised to
take off and flourish. In the past three years, the intramural and club program has
experienced more than a 30 percent increase in participation.
Kennesaw State’s Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Services Jerome
Ratchford said the opening of Phase I of the KSU Sports & Recreation Park “demonstrates
KSU's commitment to provide suitable facilities to address the recreation and fitness
needs of an expanding student population.”
Prior to completion of Phase I of this project, KSU had only a 1.7-acre field on the
main campus for its 22,500 students. Many club teams had to practice in fields as
far away as Woodstock and Alpharetta for lack of facilities.
The larger of the two new fields is 80-by-120 yards, which meets regulation requirements
for rugby, lacrosse and soccer, while the smaller field can be used for sports such
as flag football and ultimate Frisbee.
The new fields’ surface material is one of the newest synthetic turfs on the market,
which –– among other features –– can drain up to thousands of gallons of water an
hour. When the temperature is high, water cannons also cool the turf by blasting water
around the field. Many universities across the nation are looking at KSU’s fields
as a model for their own campuses.
Unlike varsity sports, which are governed by the NCAA and are very competitive, intramural
and club sports are more accessible to all students. About 2,200 KSU students participate
in intramural and club sports –– about six times as many students playing NCAA sports
–– and that number is expected to increase dramatically with the new facilities.
Intramural and club sports play an important role in fostering a dynamic campus life
and building relationships among students. Basketball and softball are among the most
popular intramural sports at KSU; lacrosse and rugby are the most popular club sports.
“We will be able to play teams that may not have given us a chance to play now that
we have the facilities. I have the feeling we’re going to have a lot of home games,”
said rugby player Marianne Thomas, a junior. “The new field’s got cushioning and springs,
the cannons are phenomenal. I am excited.”
Site work and grading for Phase II of the KSU Sports & Recreation Park are already
under way. Plans call for a comprehensive recreational complex that would have as
many as seven competition fields, 4,683 feet of nature and hiking trails, sand volleyball
courts, a proposed multipurpose stadium, and a 12-acre lake.
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its nearly 43,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
