Parts of LaHaye Recreation & Fitness Center To Close Through January 2022

With a routine court sanding project and a new walkway construction, half of the LaHaye Recreation & Fitness Center will be closed from Nov. 22 to the end of January. 

According to the Director of Recreation Facilities Sean Sealy, the basketball courts, racquetball courts, training loft, group exercise studios, cross training room and indoor track will be closed for the duration of the project.

Sealy said they will have courts in the Multipurpose Center open for basketball and are currently looking for a way to accommodate group exercise classes either in David’s Place or the Multipurpose Center. There are no alternate locations for racquetball, the indoor track, the training loft or the cross-training room. 

Every year the courts are refinished to keep them healthy. But every eight to 10 years, they must be sanded down to give the courts their vitality back. Due to heavy traffic, the floors get worn down quickly. 

“They’re going to sand the wood down, and they’re going to fix any imperfections,” said Sealy. “(They’ll) bring the wood back to a starter position almost like the wood was brand new and just installed.” 

The court sanding also helps keep the courts safe and ready for students to use. 

Along with the sanding, they will be constructing a new walkway from the court entrance to the side by the cycling studio. 

The current walkway is on the same hardwood as the courts, and there is no division between the courts and the walkway. Sealy said they typically have lots of people walking on this stretch with rolling carts full of supplies. It results in a lot of “wear and tear” on the wood.

They wanted to create the new walkway to help preserve the life of the wood, make it look nicer and offer a better path for students without making them feel like they are walking right on the courts.

“We’re in that time where it just needs to be done,” Sealy said. “There is a small sacrifice to be made by closing something off, but the end result is going to be great. I think students are really going to like it.”

Freshman Elise Hof plays intramural basketball and often plays pick-up basketball with her friends on the LaHaye courts. She said she is glad they are taking care of the courts but wishes they would have chosen a different time to complete this project.

“The courts are always full of students playing pick-up or shooting solo,” Hof said. “I am sad to see that this type of activity will be limited especially as the courts will be closed during the winter and the option of playing pick-up on outdoor courts in this type of weather is not favorable.” 

For more information about LaHaye Rec & Fit and updates on the courts, students can visit Liberty.edu/LaHaye-Rec.

Fitch is a news reporter. Follow her on Twitter.