The sun shined brightly with the signature OSF Healthcare Brown and white logo adorning the Illinois State University Athletic Indoor Practice Center. This is a facility located near 79,000 square feet just north of Horton Field House, which includes a 100-yard football field with one end zone.
The kids played a variety of games and were engaged to the student-athletes in a heated, expandable, dual-membrane fabric air dome designed for use by Redbird student-athletes all year round. There is also artificial turf that matches the current surface of Hancock Stadium.
The Open House celebration took place before the Illinois State Football Spring Game. OSF Steam hosted a table where children learned about color blindness with special 3D glasses, as well as exploring the human brain with specimens that they can experience in person. They also robbed the coloring pages as part of an activity designed to help young people think about the wonders of science and potential careers in medicine.
OSF has decided to make a significant financial contribution to the long-standing ISU Athletics indoor practice facility following a five-year agreement that made OSF Healthcare become the official healthcare provider of Illinois State University track and field. As part of that agreement, OSF Healthcare will provide Illinois State University student-athletes with access to athletic trainers, sports medicine providers, orthopedic surgeons and behavioral health professionals.
Carol Friesen, chief medical officer of OSF Healthcare Eastern Region, says the strong partnership between the two long-standing community organizations is to contribute to better education and health and wellbeing.
“It's important that we take care of each other. Healthcare and academics are the lynchpin of every community, and if we're strong, the whole community is full of vibrancy. So we wanted to invest in a meaningful way that further promotes what's going on here and here.”
Friesen was surprised to learn 19 different sports on campus, along with its use in the community by various travel sports teams. Eunmee (pronounced Uhn-May), president of OSF Healthcare St. Joseph Medical Center, was impressed by the size and scope of the facility and shared that important OSF investments reflect our mission to serve with maximum care and love. Additionally, we support a potential future talent pool.
“Investing in ISU makes perfect sense because we get talent from them. They are the anchors of the community we can serve together.”
Athletic Director Jeri Beggs says having an indoor training facility is extremely necessary to maintain a competitive program in NCAA Division 1 track and field. But even Beggs was surprised by the number of sports currently using the building.
“Our golf teams love this space. You can actually see the trajectory of the ball. Baseball and softball play almost legal games here. They put their home plate here. They say softball is basically a real field for them. So, all our sports come here.” She adds, “It changed every sport we have.”
Retired former athletic manager, Larry Lyons, has begun fundraising and planning for the facility. Football coach Broxpack praises him for improving his vision for the indoor practice centre and other facilities that date back to Spack's start at university 15 years ago. However, Spack says that without financial support from OSF Healthcare, Lyon's vision might not have come to reality.
Spack also points out that the impressive facility has helped recruit, and he says he made a huge difference in the excitement and performance of student-athletes.
“It doesn't matter to practice here, whether it's spring, winter or autumn. They come here and they think it has a big feel, so they play the lights. They feel like a big team here.
Redbird Athletics officially opened on September 30, 2023, dedicated the newly named OSF Healthcare Athletics Training Center.
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