Renovated locker rooms are a selling feature at FMCC
When you think locker rooms, you may imagine a place you want to get in and out of as quickly as possible. A lot of students don’t feel the same, according to Kevin Jones, Fulton-Montgomery Community College’s Director of Athletics. The locker room isn’t just a place for changing into and out of jerseys.
“The locker room for a team is kind of like their home away from home,” Jones said in a recent interview. “It’s where people sit around getting ready for a game, talking to each other, and really connecting. It has a family atmosphere. We’ve got kids who come from serious struggles, and the locker room gives them a space of their own.”
One of the reasons students spend so much time in FMCC’s locker room, Jones speculated, is the 2018 renovation, which included updated treatment and equipment rooms, new trophy cases in building foyers, and bathrooms and showers. Most importantly, of course, the locker rooms were rejuvenated with bright new wall tiles in the school’s colors, new lockers and fixtures, and a roomier layout.
Visiting team locker rooms were added, and the renovation also expanded the women’s locker room.
Previously, it had been smaller than the men’s locker room. Now, the two locker rooms are equally spacious, ensuring all of the student athletes feel valued. The space is theirs, and the nicer it is, the more they feel like they’re appreciated.
That’s important, not just for the well-being of athletes, but for the school itself. The more comfortable prospects are when they visit the campus, the more likely they are to come back as a student. When the Foundation raises the money to do these upgrades, it brings more students, and when these new students walk on campus and see all the new facilities and people and opportunities, they’re impressed.
The renovation was a significant victory for Head Coach E.J. Gallup who said, “A lot of the time, and especially at the higher division levels, it comes down to your facilities, and that trickles down to every level underneath. We’re living a world where social media is huge. The kids want to take pictures of their locker room and their gym. That’s the first thing they do when they get here, so it’s nice we made these great improvements.”
Who’s to thank for the photo-worthy locker rooms that make students feel like family? You are.
The FM Foundation provided half of the funds for the physical education building, with the state funding the remainder. More improvements are always underway because we, like you, want to provide an environment that students want to call home.
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