The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1014905
20 THE WOLVERINE SEPTEMBER 2018 "They've been from place to place, they've had offices in different areas, and they've had locker rooms in dif- ferent places. To see those ladies and those coaches have a space of their own that they know is going to be there is wonderful. "I've not seen them fully practice in the rowing tank yet, but I've seen them in the erg room as a team. You see that, and you realize how special it is for them to have that type of facility." It's not just the newly relocated programs which are benefiting from the new facilities, Manuel pointed out. "You see the teams that were al- ready down there having better ac- cess to a weight room and bigger training room, and more equipment to prevent or treat injuries. That makes it better. "For me, the investment has a far greater impact than I really thought it would." Michigan's football representatives at the Big Ten meetings in Chicago continued to sing the praises of the Wolverines' new, expansive weight room. As a former football player, Manuel can certainly see why. "I'm blown away, too," he said. "It's phenomenal. You now can have literally an entire team work out to- gether, safely, in that environment. You have enough space in between apparatus for people to be in there. If somebody wobbles the wrong way and they have to let a weight go, you have the space to do it. "It cuts down on the potential for injuries. Plus, it drives the opportu- nity for the team to get together in the weight room. It really adds a lot of energy. "I've seen one workout, and to hear the guys — and more importantly, to hear [strength and conditioning coach] Ben Her- bert and his staff — talk about the impact and how they're utilizing the facilities is really special." Manuel cautioned that there isn't anything on the front burner as far as building projects at this point. That doesn't mean Michigan is done with its facilities overhaul, one that stretches back to Martin's tenure in office. He's always looking at what can be done at the corner of State and Hoover, just like his predecessors, Manuel noted. In other words, there could be a plan down the road to revamp the administrative offices for Michigan athletics. "But there's nothing to announce at this present time," he assured. "We've done a great job since Bill was here, in the mid-2000s, investing significantly in our facilities through- out. It was capped by the opening of the South Complex. "There's not a lot that needs to be done. The Academic Center was one of the first buildings that was brought on line, and that's a little smaller than we needed at the time we built it. We probably have 200 to 250 more student-athletes than we had back then, because of adding sports. It's a little too small, and we need to look at it." Canham Natatorium needs work as well, particularly the locker rooms, Manuel noted. For now, he's hold- ing off on any details, but Michigan hasn't held back when needs have arisen. ❏ The South Competition and Performance Project provided U-M with nearly 28,000 square feet of new facilities, including an indoor track, weight room and lacrosse stadium, among other amenities, that have had "a far great impact" than Manuel originally thought they would. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL