A lot of Puget Sound students see the Memorial Fieldhouse & Pamplin Sports Center as the spot on campus to lift weights and run on the treadmills. What so many people don’t realize is that the gym plays host to a huge list of extra activities that happen year round.
First, though, the history of the school’s athletics center should be realized and appreciated by all students and faculty. Puget Sound Board of Trustees member from 1990 to 1993 Robert B. Pamplin, Jr.’s donation in 1994 allowed the school to add the Pamplin Sports Center, alongside the Memorial Fieldhouse, which houses the basketball gym. According to the University of Puget Sound website, “Memorial Fieldhouse, completed in 1949, was dedicated to all the brave men and women who had fallen while defending their country during World War II.”
Donations were the biggest contributor to all the athletic opportunities given to the University of Puget Sound, and the increasing number of students that use the gym for all its offerings is something that Hackett and all other athletic faculty members hope to see continue in the next semester and years to come.
The list of extra activities any student can participate in is a long one. While club sports having huge numbers on campus, other sports such as racquetball, floor soccer and badminton are just as available to students who show interest, whether it’s at an introductory level or a competitive one.
Director of Athletics Amy Hackett said that anytime a varsity sport or class is not occupying gym space, open activities can take place. Hackett, who facilitates all varsity sports teams during their respective seasons, mentioned that sports teams each use the main gym even when it is outside of their regular season.
“The main gym plays host to a number of events in addition to sport events,” Hackett said. “Staff Professional development, Race & Pedagogy, Reunion Weekend, Flea Market, Luau, Commencement, Orientation, sometimes concerts and a couple of community events as well as summer conferences and camps.”
If you’re looking for a simple workout session in the gym, great! If you want to play pickup basketball games with a team of friends, you have that ability! What it comes down to is the outreach the gym has to all students, no matter their athletic ability/desire. More students need to realize that the gym and athletic centers are open to anyone who wishes to use them for any purpose.
The fact that all students have access to the gym is a privilege that one should appreciate, aside from one’s interest or ability to use what the gym has to offer.
The list of extra activities the Memorial Fieldhouse & Pamplin Sports Center give to all students is one that has several unique sports that anyone can participate in and gives students a fun break from studying as well as opportunities to work out at anytime.
For example, if you are looking to start climbing, free shoes and harnesses are available during orientation hours. Orientation hours are Tuesdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The climbing wall is closed Mondays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. for wall resets and Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. for climbing class. For more questions or information, there is a Puget Sound Climbing Wall Facebook page.
Weekly schedules for the fitness center, swimming pool, tennis pavilion, and gym are posted on the Logger Athletics website. Navigating the website can be tricky so go to the “Inside Athletics” tab and click on “Facilities.” When looking at the page there will be hyperlinked text in all caps, under the title “Athletic Facilities.”
