University of Richmond Athletics
Women's Soccer Moves Into Renovated Locker Room
09/24/2014 | Women's Soccer
As part of the ongoing renovations to the Robins Center, a few programs had their new locker rooms go online in the month of September, particularly teams in-season. After spending the first four weeks of the regular season away from home, Richmond women's soccer moved into their new locker room the week of their first home matches, both 3-2 wins over the weekend.
"What we had was fine, but this place is comfortable and gives us more of an identity to have a space that they enjoy using," said head coach Peter Albright.
Players mentioned in post-match interviews that they loved the new space and their new home for the fall. The coaches noticed the changes in practice and in the contests.
"It's been amazing to see the patterns of team interactions change as a result of the new locker room. This is a place where the players want to be. It has a world-class sound system and they put on music while they get ready for training or a game. When you go by there 45 minutes before practice, it's rocking in there. The glue that holds the team together when you have a program that is successful is when players love spending time together. This has immediately become that place for them to do so. I think it's becoming a competitive advantage.”
The renovations are part of the $17 million project which fans experienced as early as last basketball season when the new arena debuted last season with new lighting, painted ceiling, video boards, scoreboards, refurbished seats, new premium seating options, new hospitality areas, a refinished and newly painted court and renovated restrooms. These locker room enhancements are part of this initial phase those arena improvements
Work continued over the summer and the locker rooms for cross country, field hockey and soccer were the first to be turned over to the teams into September.
“We were not impatient about moving in there,” added Albright. “We knew how nice they would be, but the fact that it happened the week of our first games was a huge boost and a perfect storm."
Work continues on locker rooms for spring sports. They are expected to go on line later this month.
The lacrosse and soccer teams also benefited from the construction of the new practice facility, out near River Road. It includes side-by-side grass and turf fields for the teams to practice on so as to alleviate much of the scheduling for time on the Robins Stadium field.
The Robins Center, which opened in 1972, has recently undergone renovations to the men's and women's basketball coach's offices, locker rooms and lounges. Renovations of the football offices, meeting rooms and academic support offices were completed during summer 2012.
