Ferris Construction Progress: Interview with Director of Athletics, Drew Galbraith

Ashley McDermott ’26

Sports Editor

The new athletic center is a source of excitement and pride for Trinity athletes and students. The ongoing construction, which was announced October 2023, has made extensive progress over this past summer. The Tripod sat down with Director of Athletics, Drew Galbraith, to discuss the construction, exciting new operations being added, and the positive impact the Wellness Center will bring to our community

TT: How long before the 2023 announcement was this construction first brought up?

DG: Iterations have been going on since 2018, the genesis of this being our partnership with Capitol Squash. As a growing urban squash program, they were looking for space to expand that program. There just isn’t enough space for both our varsity squash teams and Capitol Squash, as well as other activities. Already, coaches and professionals are sharing offices, and there are many people who are not housed in this building. We’re trying to provide space for everybody in a more efficient fashion.

TT: How will extra squash courts impact our varsity players, as well as students within the Capitol Squash program?

DG: Having these extra courts will bring more community squash back to Trinity. It certainly was more of a tradition 15 to 20 years ago when the men’s team began to pick up and Trinity was a hub for that. We want Capitol Squash to be able to operate here like other urban squash programs throughout the country. This will give us a lot more flexibility where we know that there are going to be courts available to Trinity students and Capitol Squash can have their window of time within the space.

TT: What does the “Wellness” in the name Wellness Center signify for students and staff?

DG: Students, athletes, alumni come in and see the brand new fitness center. The Hazelton Fitness Center has done great things for our community, but it does not advertise us as a school that cares about wellness and the fitness of our students, it is only functional. Having a new fitness center is a statement about how much we care about our students and their physical wellness. We will be adding a studio that hosts wellness classes as well as other fitness classes. Right now those classes move around campus, so having a dedicated spin studio, for example, makes a huge difference. We will be moving the free weights and spaces to do high intensity workouts to be in the varsity weight room, and the varsity weight room will go into the current fitness center. The lobby should be a space not just for athletes, but for every student who is active at Trinity. It gives us a lot more options to follow through on the promise we make to students that we care about your wellness and that we want you to be active here. 

TT: How does this positively impact student athletes and coaches?

DG: This space allows us to decompress. There will be several multi-purpose meeting spaces. Students and teams somewhat battle over limited space so it will be a huge improvement to have the new spaces in the building. Outdoor sport coaches and squash coaches will be in the new building, and that allows us to spread everyone out. There will be a lot more sit-down space coming. To have thousands of square feet for students and staff to decompress is a huge benefit. Students and athletes will come into the lobby on the first floor, and there will be an abundance of space to bond and build community.

TT: What are you most excited to see once construction is complete?

DG: Anybody associated with Trinity is proud of the view of the chapel and long walk, and what those things represent to us as members of Trinity’s community. Now, the view from the long walk will show this shining glass building. The new terrace can fit over 200 people and it can be used to host all sorts of campus events where people can look at the chapel. Any new student on an admissions tour wondering where they will go to workout, they can tour this gleaming new building with its fitness center, then they will go upstairs and look out giving them that visceral view of Trinity College. This building will have a much more inviting entrance from campus, as well as an entrance from Broad Street for visitors to campus and for the community. This really signifies our commitment to a student’s well being, as well as bringing this campus together.

TT: Where does the construction stand now?

DG: We are in great shape. The star structure is completely done, so we are now working to install surfaces that are not glass. Hopefully the glass will be put in and the building will be enclosed around late October or early November. During the winter, the interior can be done. All the materials we need are on track to be here on time, so it has been very exciting to stay on track and work our way through the building. We’re really hopeful to do some kind of ribbon cutting by the end of the spring semester. So when students return in the fall, all operations and staff will be in place and ready to go.