Indoor Practice Facility

[El Paso Eagle]

Based on a comment about working out in the heat could give us a competitive advantage early in the season, especially against teams from other regions, I was wondering how teams use the IPF’s. 

Does anyone know how often most teams that have the facilities use them in place out “traditional” outdoor facilities? I’m guessing in heavy rains, cold, etc. but I was just wondering.

Thanks

[Wag Tag]

3 minutes ago, El Paso Eagle said:

Based on a comment about working out in the heat could give us a competitive advantage early in the season, especially against teams from other regions, I was wondering how teams use the IPF’s. 

Does anyone know how often most teams that have the facilities use them in place out “traditional” outdoor facilities? I’m guessing in heavy rains, cold, etc. but I was just wondering.

Thanks

I looked at LaLa facility. They have dropped down batting cages and can lay a basketball court ! Today they need to be multifunctional! GMG 

[Aldo]

You want your IPF to be multipurpose that can be used year round for things like soccer, lacrosse, track, pro day, etc.

And not just the field, but some kind of training facility with weight rooms, showers, locker rooms, game room, film room.

Edited October 12, 2016 by Aldo

[golfingomez]

my initial reaction is that it is kind of pointless, as we have a nice practice facility dedicated to the team, but I know it's about more than that.

It's about taking a step to becoming a big time college program, about showing off to recruits what you have to offer, it's about getting the guys access to a practice facility year round, if they want to workout/run routes/sprints... all this on top of the multifunctionality of it.

 

It's going to cost a ton and it's going to raise quite a bit of uproar from the student body, so be prepared for that.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Many Texas high schools have IPF's including the one here in Weatherford.

[UNT 90 Grad]

2 hours ago, El Paso Eagle said:

Based on a comment about working out in the heat could give us a competitive advantage early in the season, especially against teams from other regions, I was wondering how teams use the IPF’s. 

Does anyone know how often most teams that have the facilities use them in place out “traditional” outdoor facilities? I’m guessing in heavy rains, cold, etc. but I was just wondering.

Thanks

Um, apparently no one is reading your post in context to the entire post and instead they are posting random thoughts on IPFs and non-football uses, which isn't what you were really asking.  

I don't know the answer to your question, but I'd hope they'd practice in whatever elements best simulate their upcoming game.  Not sure what that means for the offseason. 

Edited October 12, 2016 by UNT 90 Grad

[Tyler Maryak]

2 minutes ago, UNT 90 Grad said:

Um, apparently no one is reading your post in context to the entire post and instead they are posting random thoughts on IPFs and non-football uses, which isn't what you were really asking.  

I don't know the answer to your question, but I'd hope they'd practice in whatever elements best simulate their upcoming game.  Not sure what that means for the offseason. 

Lol, I was just thinking the same thing. I started following the post because I was curious if anyone had any insight that might answer his question. The emails I've gotten so far have been somewhat less than enlightening.

[UNT Mean Green]

3 hours ago, El Paso Eagle said:

Based on a comment about working out in the heat could give us a competitive advantage early in the season, especially against teams from other regions, I was wondering how teams use the IPF’s. 

Does anyone know how often most teams that have the facilities use them in place out “traditional” outdoor facilities? I’m guessing in heavy rains, cold, etc. but I was just wondering.

Thanks

The purpose of an IPF is not to escape the heat. It's to have an excellent facility that services a number of purposes. I would bet that feasibility on this project will include whether or not to make it football specific or multi-purpose (and the associated costs / scope that go with each scenario). We need one badly, and it is great to finally see it in the plans.

[Aldo]

32 minutes ago, UNT 90 Grad said:

Um, apparently no one is reading your post in context to the entire post and instead they are posting random thoughts on IPFs and non-football uses, which isn't what you were really asking.  

I don't know the answer to your question, but I'd hope they'd practice in whatever elements best simulate their upcoming game.  Not sure what that means for the offseason. 

[UNT 90 Grad]

3 hours ago, El Paso Eagle said:

Based on a comment about working out in the heat could give us a competitive advantage early in the season, especially against teams from other regions, I was wondering how teams use the IPF’s. 

Does anyone know how often most teams that have the facilities use them in place out “traditional” outdoor facilities? I’m guessing in heavy rains, cold, etc. but I was just wondering.

Thanks

Over the past five years, six schools competing in the ACC have built indoor practice facilities, while another four are scheduled to open by the end of 2015. The University of Florida, lone holdout in the SEC, recently announced that it was seeking design bids for a potential facility. "Some would argue it's about the arms race, but really, they do play a pretty important role in providing an all-weather practice space," says Joel Leider, vice president of SportsPLAN Studio in Kansas City, Mo. "Student-athletes from every sport train every day year-round. Providing a place for them to work during the winter, during storms, during oppressive heat — that's important."

For football, the list of reasons to have an indoor facility is even more compelling. "Football teams have 120 guys on them," Leider says. "That's a lot of people to have concentrated on a single practice field. The ability to run inside and out when the weather changes or to do drills is pretty important."

"It's the versatility of anything from not having people standing at the fence watching what you're doing to being able to practice certain conditioning activities in a controlled environment," adds Yann Cowart, vice president with Montgomery, Ala.-based Infinity Architecture.

http://www.athleticbusiness.com/gym-fieldhouse/designing-the-modern-college-football-practice-facility.html

[DT 90]

From my S&C Coach connections. If you have a IPF, your schedules/workouts never change due to weather. Inclement weather reduces the effectiveness of the training session if it has to be done outside in the rain, sleet, snow, mud, heat or cold.   At BYU, they used their facility almost exclusively during the offseason before Spring Football.  I know that's in Utah. But even  at UL- Monroe, they had a very wet spring that impacted their ability to train effectively outdoors. It even impacted their Spring practices and the start of two a days.  And when I talk about rain, I am not talking the wet part, but the lightning part.  Lightning is the big bugaboo now with all sorts of time restrictions that have to be met. 

At BYU they trained all the outdoor sports in the IPF and even the band uses it to practice on inclement weather days.

Midway High School here in Waco has a full 100 yard IPF. It is VERY nice facility. Better than some D1 universities. They have drop down batting cages for baseball and softball and they can even do infield practice inside with diamond outline and bases already on the carpet.   

 

And yes.. It is a huge recruiting selling point.

[MeanGreenTexan]

13 minutes ago, DT 90 said:

From my S&C Coach connections. If you have a IPF, your schedules/workouts never change due to weather. Inclement weather reduces the effectiveness of the training session if it has to be done outside in the rain, sleet, snow, mud, heat or cold.   At BYU, they used their facility almost exclusively during the offseason before Spring Football.  I know that's in Utah. But even  at UL- Monroe, they had a very wet spring that impacted their ability to train effectively outdoors. It even impacted their Spring practices and the start of two a days.  And when I talk about rain, I am not talking the wet part, but the lightning part.  Lightning is the big bugaboo now with all sorts of time restrictions that have to be met. 

At BYU they trained all the outdoor sports in the IPF and even the band uses it to practice on inclement weather days.

Midway High School here in Waco has a full 100 yard IPF. It is VERY nice facility. Better than some D1 universities. They have drop down batting cages for baseball and softball and they can even do infield practice inside with diamond outline and bases already on the carpet.   

 

And yes.. It is a huge recruiting selling point.

What would your "connections*" know?





*I hope your connections are doing well in Provo!*

[Wag Tag]

1 hour ago, DT 90 said:

From my S&C Coach connections. If you have a IPF, your schedules/workouts never change due to weather. Inclement weather reduces the effectiveness of the training session if it has to be done outside in the rain, sleet, snow, mud, heat or cold.   At BYU, they used their facility almost exclusively during the offseason before Spring Football.  I know that's in Utah. But even  at UL- Monroe, they had a very wet spring that impacted their ability to train effectively outdoors. It even impacted their Spring practices and the start of two a days.  And when I talk about rain, I am not talking the wet part, but the lightning part.  Lightning is the big bugaboo now with all sorts of time restrictions that have to be met. 

At BYU they trained all the outdoor sports in the IPF and even the band uses it to practice on inclement weather days.

Midway High School here in Waco has a full 100 yard IPF. It is VERY nice facility. Better than some D1 universities. They have drop down batting cages for baseball and softball and they can even do infield practice inside with diamond outline and bases already on the carpet.   

 

And yes.. It is a huge recruiting selling point.

Makes me think that having weight rooms, meeting rooms, and training rehab rooms off the IPF would be ideal. Wish they could come off the existing south structure and be visible from the stadium and 35! GMG 

[Mickey]

My son went on a visit to TCU recently with the baseball coaches, part of what they showed us was the TCU IPF.  For baseball, it allows them to work when its too wet, too cold, etc (individually or as team) . Some of their alumni that play in the pros also use it during the winter for their offseason (long toss, running, etc).

On his visit to Air Force, very similar.  

IPF allows all teams to practice when conditions outside won't allow (football, soccer,  baseball, etc).  Many schools connected them to weight rooms and that allows them to expand training that way by doing weights along with sprints, tire flips, sled push, etc, etc.

[EagleMBA]

1 hour ago, Wag Tag said:

Makes me think that having weight rooms, meeting rooms, and training rehab rooms off the IPF would be ideal. Wish they could come off the existing south structure and be visible from the stadium and 35! GMG 

Location, location, location. I think you're saying what I'm thinking, which is that the money will go further if we don't have to build out redundant facilities. With a given amount of money, that should allow the basic structure to be bigger/better/more flexible. If it has to be built in BF Egypt, all of the supporting facilities have to be there, IMO.

[mgfan]

IPC is great to have. We have one at the HS I work at. It comes in useful all time. It is connected to the weight room and coaches office. Transitioning from weights to IPC is easy and great and saves a lot of time over a course of a season. 

Having temperature control is great either making it hotter or colder. And with bay doors we can help to simulate the weather outside while still being inside. 

[MCMLXXX]

We should work out a deal with Denton ISD. We own and schedule but give them access. 

I always thought we should find a way to convert the field at Fouts. Eliminate existing stands, enclose field including track, put a few thousand seats in, upgrade track, put down new turf, put up retractable roof, leave top open for track events, use for  women's Soccer games when rain or weather prevents game outdoors, use for small school playoff games, find a sponsor and put their logo prominently on roof, etc.

[All About UNT]

I think they should build it where the baseball stadium is supposed to go.  Find another home for baseball in that most of the game would be as dusk and the batters would have stared right into the sun.  Plus this keeps it close enough to shuttle equipment from the training rooms to the facility really quickly.

[DT 90]

19 hours ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

What would your "connections*" know?


*I hope your connections are doing well in Provo!*

Now actually an Assistant Director at UL-Monroe.

15 hours ago, EagleMBA said:

Location, location, location. I think you're saying what I'm thinking, which is that the money will go further if we don't have to build out redundant facilities. With a given amount of money, that should allow the basic structure to be bigger/better/more flexible. If it has to be built in BF Egypt, all of the supporting facilities have to be there, IMO.

Actually redundant facilities are quite common.  At the bigger D1 programs, each sports has it own weight room.  It is easier to program their training with sports specific training equipment. It also makes all sports training programs more efficient time and coaching wise.   

Putting the IPF in place of the existing practice fields would be a perfect location. Of course you would have to build another outdoor practice field either in the intermural area or in the big open space adjacent to Victor Parking Lot. 

[MeanGreenTexan]

10 minutes ago, DT 90 said:

Now actually an Assistant Director at UL-Monroe.

Oh.   Great!

Still has a profile on the BYU S&C page though.  Weird.

[DT 90]

3 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Oh.   Great!

Still has a profile on the BYU S&C page though.  Weird.

Yea. A little slow on their website updates... 10 months late.

Edited October 13, 2016 by DT 90

[MeanGreen_MBA]

15 hours ago, MCMLXXX said:

We should work out a deal with Denton ISD. We own and schedule but give them access. 

I always thought we should find a way to convert the field at Fouts. Eliminate existing stands, enclose field including track, put a few thousand seats in, upgrade track, put down new turf, put up retractable roof, leave top open for track events, use for  women's Soccer games when rain or weather prevents game outdoors, use for small school playoff games, find a sponsor and put their logo prominently on roof, etc.

Dang.....good idea all around!!!!!

[oldguystudent]

Indoor practice facility.  Pfft.  Why in my day, we had to walk uphill barefoot through the snow to get to practice.  Then, we had to glue thumbtacks to the bottoms of our feet for cleats, and we had to chase down a local pig and kill it to make the football!

[DT 90]

16 minutes ago, MeanGreen_MBA said:

Dang.....good idea all around!!!!!

Though that was in Frisco....

[MeanGreen13]

53 minutes ago, DT 90 said:

Now actually an Assistant Director at UL-Monroe.

Actually redundant facilities are quite common.  At the bigger D1 programs, each sports has it own weight room.  It is easier to program their training with sports specific training equipment. It also makes all sports training programs more efficient time and coaching wise.   

Putting the IPF in place of the existing practice fields would be a perfect location. Of course you would have to build another outdoor practice field either in the intermural area or in the big open space adjacent to Victor Parking Lot. 

Space is earmarked for another dorm that is Victory's mirror image. I say the intramural fields is the perfect spot for the IPF because it is for all sports and that is pretty central in the mean green village, especially when the track facility is built.