Three game-changing aspects of the Gators' Heavener Center
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators have a brand new home in the form of an $85 million Bill Heavener Center. On Monday, Gators Online was able to tour the new facility. While the Heavener Center is football-minded and football first, it will be accessible to all 524 student-athletes at the University of Florida.
There was a lot to see and to take in but these are the three areas that we walked away most impressed with.
Efficiency
There was much care and thought put into the layout of the football offices. Players walk into the building through the front door and the hallway which leads to the locker room is directly ahead. The locker room connects directly to the “wet” room (more on that in the next section), and then out to the weight room, which connects to the indoor practice facility and outdoor practice fields.
The ease of movement is something that Florida has never had. Napier reported that it would take the team 18 minutes to get ready and walk from the locker room at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Then 18 minutes back. Added up over the course of a season and that’s another 60-plus hours the team can reclaim and use for something other than commuting.
New technology
The football center is jam-packed with new, cutting-edge technology. Start with simple quality of life fixes, such as the ease of movement we just talked about. Then, once inside the facility, there is a focus on rest and recovery. The “wet” area is equipped with sauna, steam, and hydrotherapy rooms. There is a cold tub and underwater treadmills to assist in rehabilitation.
Just down the hall are a pair of cryotherapy rooms. The first chamber reaches -67 degrees Fahrenheit and the second as low as -167 degrees.
There was a lot of thought put into the physical health of the football team. The new facility will be aimed at keeping them healthy and available.
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Locker room befitting of the Gators’ standard
The Gators’ new locker room has taken the program to the next level while. Immediately entering the locker room, the team is greeted by a pyramid of the schedule. It shows the base of the season, the beginning, and builds toward the ultimate goals. Each square placard represents an opponent on the schedule, which former Florida quarterback Shane Matthews says the players will sign after a win. There is also a lounge behind this wall outfitted with zero gravity massage chairs and televisions.
Billy Napier mixed the players up, as to promote more unity among the team. The player’s lockers are random throughout the space.
The lockers themselves were designed specifically for the Florida Gators. They carry an approximate price tag of $15,000, per Executive Athletic Director Chip Howard.
Each locker has private storage areas and a personalized photo above each chair to designate whose locker it is, each individual unit is outfitted with Hyperice Normatec 3-leg boots, which cost approximately $800 a pair. There are wireless charging stations for phones and tablets, as well as power outlets.
The chairs themselves recline so that the person in it is parallel to the floor, making a great place for a pre or post-practice nap.
