Towson Men's Lacrosse Improves Locker Room
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During any season, athletes tend to spend more time in their team's locker room than their own dorm rooms or apartments.
For the 2011 Tiger men's lacrosse team, their locker room was undergoing a massive improvement project because of the generosity of several Tiger former lacrosse players.
It meant that the Tigers had to move into the bottom level of the Field House at Johnny Unitas® Stadium and use locker rooms that are normally used by visiting teams. It took away from the team's home field advantage.
When the team returned for its Fall workouts and practices, they came back to Johnny Unitas® Stadium to an improved locker room.
"With the help of our outstanding lacrosse alumni and friends of the program, we now have a first class locker room facility," Towson Coach Shawn Nadelen said. "We are grateful to have such generous people care about Towson Lacrosse so much to fund such a rewarding project.
"Our new locker room allows our players to have a comfortable area to prepare for practices and games as well as spend time together and bond as a team," Nadelen added. "We are able to operate everything we need to do on a day-to-day basis with our lacrosse program in this space."
A group of five lacrosse players - Chris Hock, '80, Rich Beecher, '05, Jason Stefanides, '87, Keith Smith, '00 and Greg LaCour, '81 - played an instrumental role in the project and provided necessary resources to make sure that the Tigers have a locker room they can be proud to call home.
"Working in the Department of Athletics gives me a unique perspective of the daily lives of our student-athletes," LaCour said. "When I attended Towson, we shared locker rooms with other teams. If your team was in-season, you had a locker. If not, you went without a locker.
"This system could not work for the current student-athletes because of their year-round workout schedule," added LaCour, a member of the Tiger Athletics Development staff. "Our players use the locker room facilities everyday during the academic year."
The Tiger men's lacrosse locker room features 52 custom lockers that are made of red oak solid wood. Each locker is 24 inches wide and stands 88 inches tall.
Each locker features a programmable digital locking compartment for securing personal items with a laser-engraved Tiger head on the compartment door. In addition, there is a large foot locker box to keep clothing and cleats with vent slots, allowing gear to stay dry.
There is also built-in space in each locker to hang lacrosse sticks, a clothing rod and hooks to hang practice and game gear and three shelves to place additional gear, including helmets.
In addition, each locker features a custom player nameplate and an upholstered folding chair that features the Towson men's lacrosse logo.
Along with the lockers, the locker room features an audio-visual system with a wide screen that allows the team to prepare in an open space without having their view blocked. The locker room is covered with carpet that features a full-color Tiger head logo that is nine feet in length.
With the new locker room, the Tigers now have a new addition to show to recruits who make visits to the Towson campus.
"When the coaching staff has a recruit on campus, you better believe that the prospect is comparing our locker rooms against all of their official visits," LaCour said.
Nadelen added, "The state-of-the-art facility also helps us attract elite recruits that are eager to be a part of the outstanding Towson Lacrosse tradition."
As part of the locker room improvements, the Tiger men's lacrosse program is finishing details for a locker campaign that will give former Tiger men's lacrosse players and their families the ability to sponsor a locker or put the player's name on a locker.
Details for the campaign will be announced soon, but LaCour will be sure to be one of the former players to contribute.
"I am proud to be part of the Towson men's lacrosse alumni that is supporting the locker campaign," he says. "Seeing my name on the locker allows the players to know not only that I was part of the rich tradition of Towson men's lacrosse, but I also care about the future of the Tiger men's lacrosse program."