Rollins College has broken ground with the new cutting-edge facilities of what will soon be the 9,961 square-foot newest athletic facility for the women’s and men’s Tennis & Golf teams.
The project is currently still under construction. Located between Rollins’ Rice Family Pavilion and Elizabeth and Ward Halls, the construction of the complex started in June 2024 by LaBella Associates. It is estimated to be completed this summer. LaBella Associates developed the design for the new athletic facility to meet the NCAA championship standards of these sports and to create a space that contributes to development of the student-athlete community.
State-of-the-art facilities will be an integral part of this architectural project; the new two-story complex will have twin covered balconies for 56 seated spectators to enjoy a view of the tennis matches on the updated tennis courts.
“To be able to come to a match and see with a good view the players’ emotions, efforts, strength, and athleticism is something anyone can appreciate,” said Jay Friedman, Head Men’s Tennis Coach.
In the building, the first floor will be dedicated to locker rooms, coaches’ offices, storage, and training space for the women’s and men’s tennis teams. The second floor will be the hub for the golf program, with storage lockers and coaches’ offices, featuring a specialized grip room and two golf simulator rooms with front line technology. The heart of the tennis and golf complex will be the Players’ Lounge, where students will have a panoramic view of the courts and a place to gather up with teammates and coaches for meetings, events, celebrating athletic and academic successes, and even winding down from schoolwork.
During this year of construction, both teams have faced an unusual dynamic from their regular training. The tennis team has had to travel for an hour and a half to and from practice to various outside courts. With one of the biggest challenges being the constant moving around and the lack of control to plan their schedules and travels, the teams have gone through adversity together, figuring out athletic, personal, and academic challenges, of which Freidman said, “[The] culture is extremely correlated to the time spent and time spent in adversity together and in this aspect, we have been stretched about to our limit.”
According to Pennie Parker, associate Vice President of Rollins Athletics, this new project represents elevating the student-athlete experience, amplifying the programs on the regional and national stage and attracting talented student-athletes from around the world.
Friedman said this new complex will also “speak to what the athletes can feel given the high standards we set for ourselves on the court, in the classroom, and as leaders in the community.” With the history of both sports programs, this complex will become an example of Rollins’ care for tradition, preservation, and development of standards in their programs.
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