LEBANON, Ohio — Lebanon athletic director Keith Pantling looked across the Braden Athletic Center late Tuesday morning and couldn’t help but smile.
“We’re actually looking at potentially the first week of October getting our teams in here,” Pantling said. “We’re really, really excited. It’s going to be used by so many.”
WATCH: A look at the Braden Athletic Center
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for project contributors is being planned for Oct. 16, followed by an open house for the community leading into Lebanon's home football game against Walnut Hills that evening at VanDeGrift Stadium on the Lebanon Junior High School campus.
Pantling said an estimated 200 students play basketball or volleyball in the district. About 600 students play or need to train on turf.
“We’re really excited for them to get indoors during those offseason months especially and be able to train here,” Pantling said. “It’s coming quick.”
Located at the District Performance Center (DPC), 160 Miller Road on the junior high campus, the new indoor turf facility is a project spearheaded and funded by the Lebanon Athletic Boosters in support of Lebanon Athletics and Lebanon City Schools.
The project is transforming one of the district's eight indoor hardwood gymnasium floors into a 10,200-square-foot multi-purpose turf training facility designed to serve a broad range of athletic programs. The location is the site of the original high school gymnasium.
The balcony of the athletic center is known as the “Upper Deck” and will feature a batting cage that can be used by baseball and softball.
“We’re really, really appreciative and thankful for our donors and our boosters who helped get us to the finish line," Pantling said. "Obviously, our district for supporting this vision. We’re most proud that it was privately funded.”
The facility includes:
- 10,200 square feet of indoor turf
- Safety padding around the entire perimeter of the space to be installed by Borgman Athletics
- "The Upper Deck," a loft area featuring a full baseball and softball batting cage system
- An existing divider that allows the space to be separated for multiple training groups during peak usage
- Upgraded lighting, painting and ventilation
- A retractable mesh curtain along one wall that provides a soft backstop for throwing, kicking, hitting and other sport-specific training
- Sport-specific markings incorporated into the mesh backstop, including a football goal post, lacrosse goal and soccer goal perimeters
The facility will be known as the Braden Athletic Center through a five-year naming partnership. The naming recognizes a cornerstone contribution from Lebanon resident Aaron Braden and his wife, Brittany.
