The University of Toronto officially welcomed students, faculty, and the public into their new $58 million Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, located on Bloor and Devonshire, last month. The state-of-the-art complex is unique and brings a more profound pedigree to U of T Varsity Blues athletics.
Athletes around the St. George campus are excited for what the new facilities bring to all competitive programs. “I haven’t seen anything like it before,” says third-year UTM student Kyle Draga.
Draga is a defensive lineman for the Varsity Blues Football team and believes that the facilities aren’t only just going to enhance his gameplay, but also enhance the sport atmosphere around campus. “Because it’s open to the public, students, and faculty it’ll hopefully attract more fans and media attention for all Varsity Blues programs,” he said. “Enhancing the atmosphere will bring in recruits and ultimately make us a CIS powerhouse one day soon.”
The multi-storied building includes a 2,000-seat stadium for men’s and women’s volleyball and basketball, facilities for the U of T sports and medicine clinic, teaching and research labs, a speed and power centre, multipurpose meeting rooms, fitness studios, and, most visibly, a strength and conditioning centre.
Adrian Lightowler, the head strength and conditioning coach for all competitive Varsity Blues programs, believes that the funding for strength and conditioning will improve all varsity teams because of its size and equipment. “Now we have enough equipment and space to house a whole team—equipment that can develop our student athletes into physical specimens unlike anything else seen on a university campus in Ontario,” he said. “We essentially have facilities that are just as good as most teams playing in competitive American programs.”
Having this facility on campus gives U of T students studying courses related to strength and conditioning opportunities to study and practice their education even further. Whether it’s personal training, physiotherapy, or medicine, you aren’t just invited to work out, but also to broaden your knowledge for your educational field.
Students from any campus are invited to work out and build their healthy active lifestyle, or enjoy a basketball or volleyball game with hundreds of other students and Torontonians at any time. The centre is open to children’s programs and camps and has spaces available for rent for student groups or communities.
The Goldring Centre will host court-related sports for the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games.
