The Clemson men’s and women’s soccer programs officially have a new home. On Sept. 22, both programs had the opportunity to enter Clemson’s new Soccer Operations Complex for the first time and were able to see what has come to be the nation’s finest college soccer-specific facility.
Located next to the soccer practice fields, the Soccer Operations Complex provides approximately 13,000 square feet of space for both programs to utilize. The two teams share an athletic training room and an outdoor patio which overlooks the practice fields.
Upon entering the building, the proud history of each program is on full display as trophies line the wall, each one celebrating the success and accomplishment of previous teams and seasons. A theme throughout the building is that of history, with each program’s successes at the conference and international level put on full display.
Each team has its own lounge with comfortable furniture and food storage options, providing the teams with a comfortable view of the outdoor seating and patio area. The outdoor patio is home to high-top tables and an array of seating options, ensuring that the student-athletes always have a comfortable area to lounge and relax throughout their day.
Each program has a specially designed team meeting room, allowing each head coach to speak and teach their respective team in an optimal way. The walls of each room are full of the accomplishments and successes of years past, encouraging the current members of each team to contribute to their respective program’s legacy. Heading out to the practice field, each team has its own state-of-the-art mud room equipped with cleat dryers and equipment storage.
Carefully designed locker rooms are perhaps the crown jewel for each program, as each coaching staff laid out their respective program’s locker room in a unique fashion to best service their team. The locker rooms offer easy access to the practice fields and allow for players to hang their boots to dry after finishing training.
The coaches’ offices allow each staff to operate in a more efficient manner, as their office space is just steps from the training pitch. Coaches meeting rooms allow for collaboration with staff and players to flourish while providing each coach the ability to operate at their optimal level.
The state of the art facility cost approximately $8 million and was funded by a combination of athletic gifts to IPTAY and revenue bonds repaid by athletic revenue.
