Indoor Sports Facility Would Be Major Boost to AUR Programme

By: Hailey Koplowitz

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Plans for a new on-campus facility are becoming a central focus as the AUR athletic programme continues to expand.

At the moment the various university teams in soccer, basketball and volleyball are limited by being reliant on rented space and facilities for matches and training.

Athletics director Stefano Cristalli believes this is a major obstacle to progress, saying: “We don’t have our own facilities, instead we are on rent. So we have to make arrangements with the facilities ahead of time, and we are pretty much stuck in those couple of hours.”

This limitation not only affects scheduling, but also student participation and team development.

Many students here at AUR are on study abroad places, which makes it more difficult to get participation due to the commitment it takes to join a team. This can make it a challenge to fill the sports teams and find success on the field.

To solve this problem, the school is exploring the redevelopment of a nearby

outdoor space on campus. The vision is ambitious yet practical.

“The proposed site is a small soccer field, which is pretty much abandoned,” explained Cristalli.

“Nobody’s using this at the moment, and it offers us a unique opportunity to build something new.

“We could try to get that covered and make it a multifunctional facility – good enough to have a 5-on-5 soccer field, as well as basketball and volleyball courts.”

This would be a complete game-changer for the athletics programme. An on-campus facility would make it much easier for students to be able to practice while also balancing academic commitments.

Even if a full indoor facility is not achievable, there is a backup plan. Cristalli said: “If that isn’t possible, at least it could be an outdoor soccer field that would significantly reduce reliance on rented facilities. Such a step could solve 30 to 40 per cent of our problems.”

The benefits of an on-campus facility would be immediate and far-reaching.

More flexibility would allow teams to train at more convenient times, improving both attendance and performance.

Ultimately, the potential project represents a major step towards strengthening the athletics programme and its continued growth. The future for AUR athletics looks bright.