UBC GamePlan: The Future of UBC Thunderbird Facilities

Whether it’s searching endlessly for parking space, wayfinding through a series of crisscrossing pathways, roads and parking lots to get to class, or trying in vain to drown out the sound of 7am construction noise next to one’s residence building, for anyone who has spent time on UBC’s Point Grey campus construction seems a constant reality of the university experience. While sometimes frustrating in the day-to-day, the long term ramifications of UBC’s ongoing development and redevelopment plans are inherently positive, demonstrating the University’s commitment to further solidifying itself as a world class destination and helping to foster a vibrancy and sense of momentum that makes UBC such an incredible place to live, study, and—as a varsity athlete—train.

I’ve had the pleasure of helping in our teams ongoing recruitment efforts by facilitating campus tours for prospective recruits and with each tour I am more proud and excited to show off the incredible campus that we call home. When recruits are joined on their tour by a parent who attended UBC themselves there is an added thrill as most alumni cannot believe the changes that have occurred since their own time on campus. Indeed, in my own brief time at UBC I have already witnessed enormous infrastructural change, from the opening of the new AMS Student ‘Nest’ to the building of a world class aquatics center to the lightning fast construction of several high-rise student residence buildings across campus to accommodate UBC’s exploding population.

While development continues in all aspects of UBC’s physical presence, of particular interest to readers of this news-letter will be the exciting infrastructural changes coming to UBC Varsity Athletics. As part of the University’s desire to establish itself as a world class venue for training and competition at both the varsity and high performance level, UBCs new GamePlan initiative will see the upgrading or construction of several athletic facilities to enhance their functionality as training and competition venues. As many will know, UBC Track and Field reached a milestone in its development with the opening of the Rashpal Dhillon Track and Field Oval in 2008. For those who recall the days of commuting out to Richmond for track workouts at Minoru, the presence of a competition-ready track on UBC’s campus was a game changer in the structure of UBC’s athletics program and a springboard for future success. Now, eight years later, UBC will make another jump forward with the construction of the joint UBC Thunderbirds-Vancouver Whitecaps National Development Center. Situated at the Northwest corner of the existing track and field complex, the 36,000 square foot multi-use building will house the new locker rooms, physiotherapy space, coaching offices and equipment storage for UBC Track and Field. Valued at $22 million dollars, the Center will provide the centerpiece of UBC’s varsity athletics hub. According to designers, the Center will serve in conjunction with the newly developed Baseball training center to frame “a much-needed open space for community gathering, celebration of sports achievements, general use and assembly during the myriad sports activities that take place on the surrounding fields.” In practice, it will provide a much needed indoor space for UBC Track and Field as well as further showcase the athletic facilities for both recruitment and the attraction of future competitive hosting opportunities.