New places to run in the House of Payne

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Payne Whitney's facilities once again stand alone.

New men's and women's basketball coaches James Jones and Amy Backus have something to smile about. Last spring, the state-of-the-art Lanman Center, a 30,000 square foot gym with four regulation basketball courts, volleyball courts, and a track, finally opened, adding much needed practice and recreational space to Payne Whitney Gym.

Erected in 1932, the Payne Whitney Gymnasium, long ago dubbed "The House of Payne" by opposing players, was once one of the finest athletic facilities in the world. But in recent years, the facilities had become insufficient for the needs of students, especially for the basketball and volleyball teams.

Many varsity athletes felt that the old facilities—including the regulation-sized John J. Lee Amphitheater and two non-regulation courts on the fifth floor—hindered varsity teams. "The older courts were very uncomfortable to play on and because there were only two, the men's and women's teams had to share them. This would lead to odd practice times," Gina Constantine, BK '00, a former women's basketball player, said.

Casual players, such as Brian McQueen, DRA '01, also found the old courts to be inadequate. "It was very easy to get bumped off the court. One court had volleyball and the other court would have a pick-up game and you either played in that game or didn't play at all," he said. In the face of this overwhelming sentiment, the administration allocated $30 million dollars to build the Lanman Center, the Fitness Center, and to renovate the locker rooms.

Ken Place, director of facilities and operations for the gymnasium, believes that the Lanman Center will have an immediate impact on the Yale athletic community. With five regulation courts, there's now much greater flexibility for scheduling practices for both men's and women's basketball as well as for the volleyball team. "We used to have to stack practices one after another but now we'll be able to get the players back to their dorms earlier," Place said.

Place also feels that the facility will benefit the average student. "These are first class facilities," he said. "It would be hard to find any Northeast school, or any other college across the country to match us. Not only will it help Yale's recruiting efforts but it will make the school more attractive for the average student whether he or she wants to use the courts for recreational or intramural play."

More renovations are slated for the near future. Jack Merril, director of planning for Payne Whitney Gym, says that renovation of the pool and swimming area is in its preliminary planning stages.

Back to Sports...