After securing a recent partnership with Mercy Hospital and EXOS, the Oklahoma Christian athletic department will now utilize the newly renovated David Smith Athletic Center, formerly known as the Barn, as their primary strength and conditioning facility.
The David Smith Athletic Center served as the home gymnasium for the Eagles’ basketball teams from 1960 to 1970 and was renovated in 2010 as the result of contributions from Oklahoma Christian basketball alumnus David Smith, the founder of MTM Recognition. Due to the donations, the Barn was formerly renamed The David Smith Athletic Center during Oklahoma Christian’s 2018 Homecoming celebrations.
The facility houses the university’s Physical Education for the Exceptional Child, Recreation for the Handicapped Child and Teaching the Disabled Child courses for individuals in the surrounding community.
The Barn underwent further reconstruction this fall and now contains rubber flooring near the entrance with multiple free weights and squat racks, along with freshly laid turf near the northern wall.
Oklahoma Christian Athletic Director David Lynn said the facility will act as a unifying factor connecting sports teams in one specific location.
“Our student athletes have been travelling off campus to work out with a variety of strength and conditioning coaches,” Lynn said. “Baseball and softball going one place, track and field going to another and so on. I wanted to solve the problem of not having a place for our student athletes on campus and get something on site to get some synergy for coaches and players.”
Lynn said the Barn will only be utilized for team-scheduled practices. Its recreational counterpart and an alternative to the athletic center, the Dub, is still open to student athletes, but large groups are discouraged from attending at the same time in order to prevent congestion.
“The Barn will not be open for student athletes to come and go singularly or in pairs,” Lynn said. “The Barn will be staffed for teams, and there will be specific scheduled times where teams will work out together.”
Oklahoma Christian senior and EXOS employee Matthew Rackley said the Barn’s renovations are a significant improvement and have actively strengthened the relationship between the university and Mercy Hospital.
“The renovations have altered the Barn’s use for the better,” Rackley said. “It was kind of put to waste for a while. The alterations will facilitate growth in that regard and will affirm the partnership between Oklahoma Christian and Mercy moving forward.”
Senior soccer player Lauren Parker said the renovations capitalize on multiple sport-specific features, which make it unique.
“The addition of turf is great for soccer,” Parker said. “It will give us an alternative practice site during poor weather conditions. All athletes need to focus on preserving its condition. Every sport will be using it, so we need to work to keep it in the shape it is currently in.”
The David Smith Athletic Center is officially open for use of the athletic department, and is already welcoming practices from sports teams.
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