Major renovations approved for varsity weight room

Photo courtesy of Emily Tarinelli ’25.
The varsity weight room in Kendall Sports and Dance Complex, above, will undergo major renovations in summer 2023 and will be done on Aug. 15.

By Emily Tarinelli ’25

Sports Editor

Kendall Sports and Dance Complex is ready to boost its game. After months of student-driven planning and advocacy, the Mount Holyoke Board of Trustees has approved a renovation of the building’s varsity weight room. The renovations will begin in late May or early June and are slated to be ready for occupancy on Aug. 15, 2023, when fall sports athletes return to campus for their pre-seasons.

The idea to upgrade the varsity weight room, affectionately nicknamed the Lyons’ Den by student-athletes, has been around for years, Mount Holyoke Strength and Conditioning Coach Jay Mendoza said. Months ago, members of the Mount Holyoke Student-Athlete Advisory Committee drafted a letter to the College’s Interim President Beverly Daniel Tatum proposing the renovations. This month, four SAAC members with key roles in putting together the proposal — Chair Emily Mock ’24 of the basketball team, Vice Chair Shannon Breen ’24 of the soccer team, and Treasurer Lucie Berclaz ’25 of the volleyball team and Rachel Katzenberg ’25 of the field hockey team — then presented the letter to Tatum during her office hours. The Board of Trustees accepted it soon after.

Mendoza explained that while the current Lyons’ Den is a great space to train, it nonetheless has its shortcomings that keep athletes from training at their best.

“The low ceilings are definitely a big problem, especially when we’re doing more power movements with our athletes — like different vertical jumps and stuff like that. It could definitely be a hazard for some of our taller friends, in volleyball or wherever, who are kind of limited with how high they can jump,” he said. “And then there’s some other small things like the lack of wall space. On every wall, there’s a mirror, there’s pipes … and for us, we do a lot of mobility drills. We would like to [be able to] throw [medicine] balls against the walls for our power development.” That can’t happen with obstructed walls, he added.

While concept designs for the Lyons’ Den renovation have yet to be generated, Mendoza emphasized that “the plan is to be as open and upfront about this project as we can be.” The Lyons’ Den, which is currently located on the basement floor of Kendall, is set to be moved up by the fieldhouse on the main level, right next to the indoor track. At present, there is a smaller, makeshift varsity weight room housed in one of the racquetball courts, which sit directly across from the track. After knocking out the middle wall, the new Lyons’ Den will take up the area of these racquetball courts and absorb the smaller weight room.

Mendoza said that with a new Lyons’ Den, the Athletic and Physical Education department will be able to provide student-athletes with “a much more well-rounded program,” especially for sports whose training requires speed, agility, running and plyometrics.

“I’m definitely excited to be upstairs by the fieldhouse because I’d love to be able to incorporate more sprints and cardio into my workouts,” Katzenberg said. “It’s easy to lift weights when you’re rested, but it’s a lot harder when your legs are tired and you’ve just done a sprint, and that’s when the real improvement happens.”

Mendoza also added that the new facilities would help bolster recruitment efforts, enabling Mount Holyoke to compete with the other teams in its conference and attract more prospective student-athletes.

“We are very excited for this project. The change of location will allow for greater flexibility in training programs,” Director of Athletics Dr. Jodi Canfield said. “The overall student-athlete experience will become more pleasant in general. Working out in a basement is kind of a downer; and a lighter, brighter space with a user-friendly ceiling and better flooring is what is desired. Moving this space is the first step in the overall locker room project, which will benefit the entire community who uses Kendall.”

Katzenberg spoke about the significance of having an improved weight room, emphasizing the student-athletes’ involvement in the process.

“It’s important to show student-athletes that our voices do matter and that our voices can fully make a difference. So when the renovations got approved, it really solidified that we, as student-athletes, can make a difference in our lives right now,” she said. “Secondly, we want to compete with the best right now. And by having a new, renovated Lyons’ Den, we can push our bodies to our limits and really get stronger physically and mentally.”

“This was driven by student-athletes. It was their voice that really made the change,” Mendoza said. “Without them, it wouldn’t have happened.”

Athletics Kickoff opens new turf, highlights student-athlete organizations

Courtesy of Sophia Anderson ’22.
From left to right: Phoebe Aaronson ’23, Mollee Malboeuf ’23, Caroline Thompson ’24, Hannah Bisson ’25 and Lucy Sternberg ’23 perform the ribbon cutting ceremony, officially opening the new turf.

By Lauren Leese ’23

Staff Writer

Mount Holyoke Athletics hosted an Athletics Kickoff and Track & Turf Ribbon Cutting Ceremony event on Thursday, Sept. 8. The kickoff officially opened the new outdoor track and turf. The ceremony highlighted student-athlete organizations, with two student representatives speaking on behalf of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Athlete Empowerment Coalition.

The event began with an address from Director of Athletics and Chair of Physical Education Jodi Canfield. Following a land acknowledgement, Canfield discussed Mount Holyoke Athletics’ successes. She highlighted the student-athletes’ overall cumulative GPA of 3.6 and the 89 students who were recognized by the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference for All-Academic Conference Team status last year. Carrying on the theme of student-athlete academic achievement, Canfield noted that both of the Mount Holyoke students who have been named Rhodes Scholars were also student-athletes, most recently Elena Frogameni ’22 of the squash team.

Canfield described the new turf as a “recruiting magnet and one that our student-athletes will look fondly upon in their remembrance of their playing days.” To her, the field is a concrete example of Mount Holyoke’s commitment to the Athletics Department. “Continued investment in our facilities signals … our alignment with the mission and the goals of the College,” Canfield said.

Following Canfield’s address, student speaker Anais Magner ’23, the chair of the SAAC, introduced the members of the SAAC Executive Board: Vice Chair Caroline Thompson ’24, Secretary Emily Mock ’24, Treasurer Piper LaPointe ’23 and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Representative Janiqua Davis ’23. Canfield then described a selection of the SAAC’s achievements from the past year and its ongoing plans to improve student-athlete experiences.

In Fall 2021, the SAAC worked with Mount Holyoke Dining Services to convert the Blanchard Hall Grab ’n Go station into a student-athlete Grab ’n Go stocked with a wide selection of food for away games. Currently, the SAAC is focused on creating a Mount Holyoke chapter of Athlete Ally, “an organization focused on creating an inclusive and supportive environment within athletics across the country, as well as advocating for the LGBTQ+ cause,” Magner said.

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to interact with such an active organization pushing for change in an area so important to us as Mount Holyoke students,” Magner continued. 

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to interact with such an active organization pushing for change in an area so important to us as Mount Holyoke students.”

— Anais Magner ’23

Finally, Magner detailed the Game of the Week initiative — a SAAC initiative that allows varsity teams to pick a home game to highlight each season. During GOTW, the selected team is paired with a buddy team which cheers them on alongside other Mount Holyoke students.

“I enjoy being part of SAAC because it allows me to be involved in the decision-making process. As a member of SAAC, my voice gets heard when I raise concerns about my team or my identity … as an international student-athlete,” Magner said. She closed by encouraging students interested in getting involved with SAAC to speak to her, their team SAAC reps or any of the SAAC E-Board members.

The second student speaker, Soccer Team Captain and President of the AEC Lo Jean-Jacques ’23, spoke about what the AEC offers students at Mount Holyoke.

“We’re here to create a safe space for … both club and varsity athletes on campus. We believe that certain groups of athletes on campus need safe spaces, [and] also need [their] voices to be heard,” Jean-Jacques said. Members of these groups — student-athletes of color and first-generation student-athletes — are “often the only student-athlete of color or first generation student-athlete on their team,” as noted on the AEC’s Embark page.

Students outside of these groups can also contribute to the AEC’s mission.

“We need allies,” Jean-Jacques said. Students looking to get involved are invited to contact Jean-Jacques, Head Squash Coach Erin Robson or Head Volleyball Coach Iris Carpio for more information.

The evening concluded with the ribbon cutting, performed by five student-athletes who will be using the turf: Phoebe Aaronson ’23 and Mollee Malboeuf ’23 of Field Hockey, Caroline Thompson ’24 of Field Hockey and Lacrosse, Hannah Bisson ’24 of Lacrosse and Lucy Sternberg ’23 of Track and Field. Each athlete used their own pair of scissors in unison to complete the ceremony, officially opening the new facility.