Long Beach City College finished construction of their new $100 million athletic facilities which will officially open on April 1st with the athletes already training and having games on it.
The finalized construction added two new artificial turf soccer fields, a National Collegiate Athletic Association level beach volleyball facility, tennis courts, renovation of the softball field, and a brand new aquatic facility with a 50-meter long pool.
The state-of-the-art pool includes locker rooms and a training facility with many games planned to be played in it.
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For the coaches, athletes, and staff of LBCC, it adds a professional environment and confidence booster.
“Amazing gives the sound of a professional environment with the locker room and training room for the field. Easy access. Super nice surface and amazing what Long Beach can pull off for the program,” men’s soccer coach Jorge Reyes said.
In 2015, Measure LB gave the college nearly $1 billion in construction money with $100 million spent on the athletic facility.
Looking ahead, LBCC will be using the money to upgrade all of its facilities in phases with the recent construction being phase one.
Plans for phase two and phase three will be towards the renovation of Veterans Memorial Stadium and the Hall of Champions gymnasium including the volleyball gym.
“Makes me feel like it’s hope and it hasn’t been made for the baseball field, but in a couple of years I can be a part of that,” baseball player Tyler Bernundo said.
The LBCC athletes training in the facilities are feeling extra motivated and confident for the season. This has brought a vision for the school and athletics creating a facility that showcases the school’s determination in making a division sports program.
“Makes me feel more confident and I feel like since we can get in the weight room we have better practice’s to be able to push ourselves,” women’s water polo player Hayden Bates said.
For the LBCC coaches, they see opportunities in recruitment and the vision the college has for sports and programs to create a division one school. Hosting events such as college tournaments, high school events, and professional team tryouts are opportunities the sports are seeing ahead in years to come.
“Sets the bar and all for junior colleges. Student-athletes, regardless of sport, show it cares and matters,” Jorge Reyes said. “Other colleges need to be set up now and need to have a professional environment.”
“Landing spot but a launching point for players,” women’s soccer coach Eduardo Nunes said in his thoughts about the future of athletics at LBCC.
The school will properly give the facility its ribbon-cutting in April, opening the facility to the public. Once opened, the community will have the ability to reserve the fields, but at the moment only LBCC athletics can use them.
“It’s just amazing and sets motivation for upcoming high school players who heard bad about LBCC but as you can see otherwise,” men’s soccer player Fernando Ramirez said.