By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com
The slogan “Get Good” floats all over the new Champions Field House training facility in Rockville.
It’s almost a challenge from current Bethesda-Chevy Chase girls lacrosse coach Jenna Ries, the woman behind the construction of the 50,000 square foot indoor facility that opened on Oct. 30.
Now with an all-year round facility where athletes of all sports can train, there are no more excuses.
“It’s actually relevant to skill development, and that’s what we’re all about,” Ries said. “I think this changes the skill part because now there’s going to be a bar for that.”
The slogan originated with the program Champions of Tomorrow, which Ries founded 10 years ago when she felt female athletes didn’t have adequate training facilities to improve their skills. What began with 20 girls practicing field hockey drills in Westbrook Elementary School’s all-purpose room grew into a program training several thousand field hockey, lacrosse and volleyball players.
But as Champions of Tomorrow grew, so did the demand for more fields and training facilities.
“I began to look around and realized that none of the existing facilities offered a clubhouse environment that catered to developing real athletes and teams,” Ries said in her press release. “I knew that if I wanted a facility that really reflected the vision of Champions of Tomorrow, I would have to build it from the ground up.”
Ries found space opposite the Arc Ice Arena, located off Southlawn Court near Gude Drive. And what Ries has constructed is a large recreation arena with impeccable attention to detail.
The Champions Field House has two artificial grass fields with thick rubber cushion that players can wear their cleats on and even slide on without fear of injury.
The fields are of course not regulation size but provide more of an opportunity for skill development with their closer quarters. They do not have walls on the sidelines to also promote maintaining control of the ball instead of forming bad habits, Ries said.
There are two full-size basketball courts, six full-size volleyball courts, two regulation futsal courts, two field hockey courts, batting cages and a artificial grass patch for the 40-yard dash.
All the courts are on a snap sport floor, which is the same surface national field hockey and futsal events are played on. They are nationally sanctioned, meaning national events could be held at the facility.
“We have what those people didn’t have before,” Ries said. “Actual, national pitches.”
The lighting is bright and state-of-the-art and the ceiling also helps with the facility’s illumination, which gives it a more outdoor kind of feel rather than artificial.
There’s a gym with top-quality equipment for athletes or parents of athletes to use while they are watching the games or practices. A study and break room is also on site for parents or students to spend their down time.
Dr. Stephen Horwitz, a Sports Injury Prevention Specialist and Sports Performance Coach, also has an office in the building, which can provide immediate medical assistance to any athlete and also provide teams or individual athletes with injury prevention training and more.
That is the part of the facility, among other things, that Good Counsel boys soccer coach Julio Zarate most appreciated.
“The place is state of the art; it’s very good and has many opportunities to play many sports,” Zarate said before saying whether his teams will be coming to Champions Field House. “They will be part of this, definitely.”
A major emphasis for Ries was to make sure she had a top-notch staff that could develop well-rounded athletes in an array of different sports. And she accomplished that.
The staff consists of a wide variety of top-notch coaches and current athletes from around the area, including Denise Infante (field hockey), Jason Gasaway (baseball), Devin Payton (futsal), Michael Haight (girls lacrosse), Jennifer Greenberg (girls lacrosse), Corey Samperton (girls lacrosse), Alan Pohoryles (boys lacrosse), Kip Turner (boys lacrosse), Jim Bruno (soccer), Matt Pasquinelli (soccer) and Karen Jones (volleyball).
“If nothing else, this building is spot on for niche marketing for what’s happening,” Ries said. “The staff, the actual surfaces, everything. That’s our biggest forte.”
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