Focus on Facilities



The new turf is now installed in LaValle Stadium and the reviews have been overwhelmingly positive! I'm already wondering which Seawolf will be the first to score a touchdown in the new red end zone.
 
Now that the turf is in, the question is what comes next? We received some positive news yesterday regarding the Stony Brook Indoor Training Center so I am very excited that shovels are expected to go into the ground shortly after the July 4 holiday.
 
Facilities are at the forefront of so much of what we do. Our student-athletes spend more time inside of our facilities than anywhere else during the time at Stony Brook. Our students and supporters come to cheer on our teams in them. In Together We Transform, we identified the following as aspirations within our plan's sixth Transformational Element "Building First Class Facilities."

• Expand the seating capacity of Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium to a minimum of 15,000 and add fan amenities, including new restrooms and points of sale for concessions, merchandise and tickets.
• Build state-of-the-art facilities that will house football operations, a new athletic training room, dining area and lounge for all student-athletes, locker rooms for football and lacrosse, meeting rooms and new equipment space.
• Build a state-of-the-art indoor practice facility that can be used by all athletic programs during periods of inclement weather.
• Ensure first class locker room facilities for all student-athletes.
• Expand the Goldstein Family Student-Athlete Development Center to accommodate a greater number of student-athletes and academic support staff.
• Enhance Joe Nathan Field and University Field by adding additional permanent seating, a permanent restroom facility, concessions area, press box, entry plaza and new scoreboard.
• Develop a soccer-specific venue for training and competition.
• Renovate University Pool so that it can best serve the needs of the student-athletes and Stony Brook community.
• Provide appropriate facilities for new women's program(s) to be added in the future.

I am very proud of the accomplishments to date, which include the expansion of LaValle, the imminent groundbreaking of the Stony Brook Indoor Training Center, several locker room enhancements and the renovation of University Pool.
 
Two projects are that have become priorities are the enhancement of Joe Nathan Field and University Field as well as the renovation of our football locker room. There is significant momentum behind both initiatives so I'm optimistic that we will be able to check those off of our list before 2020.
 
Jaron Joins Team Bahamas


 
Last week I shared the exciting news about Akwasi Yeboah, who is currently in Scotland with the Great Britain national team as it prepares for World Cup qualifying games. It turns out that Akwasi isn't the only Seawolf competing for his country this week.
 
Senior point guard Jaron Cornish is in Puerto Rico where he is representing his native Bahamas on a team that includes current Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield. The Bahamian national team will take the court against the U.S. Virgin Islands later today before taking on the Dominican Republic on Monday.  
 
Jaron is one of the guys who Jeff Boals has been raving about during summer workouts. The progress that he's made with his shot and ball handling is off the charts. I know that basketball season doesn't start until November but there is a lot to be excited about!  
 
Camp Season!
 
Our student-athletes aren't the only competitors putting in work at Stony Brook over the summer. Camp season is in full swing, which gives us a chance to welcome hundreds of future Seawolves to our campus.


(Photo via Twitter/@CoachMcCombs)
 
As I write this, my daughter Quinlan is downstairs in Island Federal Credit Union Arena participating in Caroline McCombs' Women's Basketball Camp. If she wasn't at Caroline's camp, she would be outside at Joe Spallina's Women's Lacrosse Camp which is also taking place this week.
 
Our day camps help to connect kids and families to our program while elite camps are vital for recruiting. Campers have such a fun experience being around our coaches and student-athletes. As a parent, I will tell you how much my kids love coming to camp at Stony Brook. There are so many opportunities to engage with Stony Brook Athletics over the summer so be sure to check out our Camps page on StonyBrookAthletics.com.
 
Enjoy your summer… another exciting fall is on the horizon. Get ready for greatness in 2018-19!
 
Warm regards,
 
Shawn