Photo courtesy of Emily Tarinelli ’25.
The varsity weight room in Kendall Sports and Dance Complex, above, will undergo major renovations in summer 2023 and will be done on Aug. 15.
By Emily Tarinelli ’25
Sports Editor
Kendall Sports and Dance Complex is ready to boost its game. After months of student-driven planning and advocacy, the Mount Holyoke Board of Trustees has approved a renovation of the building’s varsity weight room. The renovations will begin in late May or early June and are slated to be ready for occupancy on Aug. 15, 2023, when fall sports athletes return to campus for their pre-seasons.
The idea to upgrade the varsity weight room, affectionately nicknamed the Lyons’ Den by student-athletes, has been around for years, Mount Holyoke Strength and Conditioning Coach Jay Mendoza said. Months ago, members of the Mount Holyoke Student-Athlete Advisory Committee drafted a letter to the College’s Interim President Beverly Daniel Tatum proposing the renovations. This month, four SAAC members with key roles in putting together the proposal — Chair Emily Mock ’24 of the basketball team, Vice Chair Shannon Breen ’24 of the soccer team, and Treasurer Lucie Berclaz ’25 of the volleyball team and Rachel Katzenberg ’25 of the field hockey team — then presented the letter to Tatum during her office hours. The Board of Trustees accepted it soon after.
Mendoza explained that while the current Lyons’ Den is a great space to train, it nonetheless has its shortcomings that keep athletes from training at their best.
“The low ceilings are definitely a big problem, especially when we’re doing more power movements with our athletes — like different vertical jumps and stuff like that. It could definitely be a hazard for some of our taller friends, in volleyball or wherever, who are kind of limited with how high they can jump,” he said. “And then there’s some other small things like the lack of wall space. On every wall, there’s a mirror, there’s pipes … and for us, we do a lot of mobility drills. We would like to [be able to] throw [medicine] balls against the walls for our power development.” That can’t happen with obstructed walls, he added.
While concept designs for the Lyons’ Den renovation have yet to be generated, Mendoza emphasized that “the plan is to be as open and upfront about this project as we can be.” The Lyons’ Den, which is currently located on the basement floor of Kendall, is set to be moved up by the fieldhouse on the main level, right next to the indoor track. At present, there is a smaller, makeshift varsity weight room housed in one of the racquetball courts, which sit directly across from the track. After knocking out the middle wall, the new Lyons’ Den will take up the area of these racquetball courts and absorb the smaller weight room.
Mendoza said that with a new Lyons’ Den, the Athletic and Physical Education department will be able to provide student-athletes with “a much more well-rounded program,” especially for sports whose training requires speed, agility, running and plyometrics.
“I’m definitely excited to be upstairs by the fieldhouse because I’d love to be able to incorporate more sprints and cardio into my workouts,” Katzenberg said. “It’s easy to lift weights when you’re rested, but it’s a lot harder when your legs are tired and you’ve just done a sprint, and that’s when the real improvement happens.”
Mendoza also added that the new facilities would help bolster recruitment efforts, enabling Mount Holyoke to compete with the other teams in its conference and attract more prospective student-athletes.
“We are very excited for this project. The change of location will allow for greater flexibility in training programs,” Director of Athletics Dr. Jodi Canfield said. “The overall student-athlete experience will become more pleasant in general. Working out in a basement is kind of a downer; and a lighter, brighter space with a user-friendly ceiling and better flooring is what is desired. Moving this space is the first step in the overall locker room project, which will benefit the entire community who uses Kendall.”
Katzenberg spoke about the significance of having an improved weight room, emphasizing the student-athletes’ involvement in the process.
“It’s important to show student-athletes that our voices do matter and that our voices can fully make a difference. So when the renovations got approved, it really solidified that we, as student-athletes, can make a difference in our lives right now,” she said. “Secondly, we want to compete with the best right now. And by having a new, renovated Lyons’ Den, we can push our bodies to our limits and really get stronger physically and mentally.”
“This was driven by student-athletes. It was their voice that really made the change,” Mendoza said. “Without them, it wouldn’t have happened.”
