If you’ve spent time in campus recreation over the last 10 years, you may have noticed a trend: converting court space into something else. Over the last several years we have seen an uptick in overall court conversions to gym/fitness space, primarily focusing on creating new functional group training rooms. However, we are now also seeing this trend moving in the direction of converting racquet and squash courts into free weight training rooms.
Think Outside the Box
Two schools who are setting the bar high for how these spaces can transform are the State University of New York at Oneonta in Oneonta, New York, and Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. Both institutions worked with longtime ASF veteran Matt Bogumil on their court conversion projects.
Originally built for racquet sports during their peak popularity, both clients sought to repurpose some of their court spaces. In doing so, they have found a new balance in the fitness options they offer that aligns with modern trends and demands. And for students who are passionate about racquet sports, there are still plenty of courts available on both campuses.
Matt and the rest of our team have been drawing insights from both projects to stay ahead of this emerging trend, which is expected to expand to other campuses due to its efficient space utilization and strong return on investment.
SUNY Oneonta
At SUNY Oneonta, a 40x20’ racquetball court was reimagined into a dynamic space balanced for both the general student body and student athletes. The layout and equipment selection in the space is designed to satisfy both kinds of exercisers, and can easily be zoned off to reserve for a group needing a structured training time.
Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College, a private liberal arts college just outside of New York City, has historically been more academically-geared but this investment highlights the seriousness of the college’s athletic programming and sports. Recently converting two of their 32x21’ squash courts is one of the steps they have taken towards this effort. One of the courts was converted into a flex-space for both functional fitness and athletic training, while the other has been allocated specifically as a free weight training zone, offering teams a new spot to train together as a group. These newly converted courts give both fitness-focused students and athletic teams the opportunity to create a space that is their own; a hub for them to train in and focus on structured, performance-driven workouts.
High Performance Equipment
Each of these courts started at a similar, “blank canvas” state, but the new rooms at each campus feature a wide variety of product offering. Due to the constant dropping of heavy weights in each space, both facilities opted for a thick, 1-inch rubber flooring surface from Ecore, as well as customized bumper plates featuring their respective logos. Due to the size difference of the courts at each campus and differences in training methods, the racks selected were manufactured by Power Lift and Precor. The Power Lift racks offer a few more options with regard to attachments & accessories, while the Precor racks are extremely well-built and are designed for both athletes and the general population. We’re proud to say both facilities feature a majority of products that are made in the USA.
Feedback that fuels
Repurposing racquetball courts and squash courts into weight rooms has yielded a multitude of positive feedback and notable success for both schools.
Students have taken notice and interest in the new facilities and are now more often opting for on-campus wellness memberships instead of off-campus options. Both schools have enjoyed a noticeable increase in free weight area usage. In turn, this increase in activity creates a more dynamic campus culture, where students not only work out in the fitness centers, but also save time by staying on campus and even help manage the facilities through campus work programs.
In transforming underutilized spaces, campuses are creating flexible environments that provide versatile resources to support athletic and academic success. Trailblazers in this trend like SUNY Oneonta and Sarah Lawrence have been instrumental in working through these innovative adaptations. Our joint efforts are setting a new standard for how campus facilities can provide well-rounded fitness experiences for students.