Athletic Facilities Take On New Look With Renovated Nelson Arena Highlighted by Recreational Opportunities and New Climbing Wall

Author: Andrew Zimmermann

For those in the class of 2005.5, Duke Nelson Arena has always had a 40-foot high state-of-the-art climbing wall, a natural skylight and blue hanging partitions to separate the newly covered tennis and basketball courts. But for those who are their senior, Nelson's new face is just the latest of chapters in a long history built on the name of a legendary man. Once the primary hockey arena on campus, Nelson after a $1 million plus renovation is now as Athletic Director Russ Reilly calls it, "a recreational multi-purpose facility."

Of the changes, the most striking is the climbing wall which stands where the wooden bleachers once did. At it's highest point it rises 40 feet and has climbing routes for all climbing abilities. Both bouldering and fixed-rope routes exist, offering a wide range of possibilities. "This facility is tremendous," climber and instructor Ben Wessler '03 said. "We are very excited about the climbing that can be done here."

Wessler is one of many competitive climbers at Middlebury, which is known for having a strong team with devoted members. On March 2 the College will host an intercollegiate climbing competition in which nearly 70 competitors from numerous New England colleges will participate. The push for a new wall has made the hosting of the event a reality and Wessler along with others have worked closely with facilities to bring one of the finest climbing walls at any college to Middlebury.

Further renovations have produced partitioning, which will allow for up to three diverse activities to take place at one time on the newly resurfaced courts. To add to the sense of community and the commons system, each separate commons is represented by two banners with logos hanging from the rafters above.

The vision for a new or renovated Nelson began four years ago with the donation of money for part of the project. In subsequent years planning and fund gathering took place with the general idea that the renovated Nelson would be a recreational space for all students that would particularly benefit intramural and club sports.

The capacity of the new arena extends beyond that, however, as golf, tennis, basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis and various other sports can be accommodated. Reilly admits that, "We don't know at this time the full capabilities of what this space could be used for." Those capabilities will be discovered as the two month-old renovation ages yet some aspects of the arena will remain unchanged. Nelson is still a social gathering space for large functions of the nature of May Day and Winter Carnival. For the first time this winter however, Nelson will house the Winter Carnival Ball, which has previously been relegated to the confines of Pepin Gymnasium.

Among the advantages of the new indoor gym space is the ability to host larger regional events such as climbing competitions on the new wall. Of those present at a physical education climbing class Monday were people who had never climbed before but were attracted by both the sport and the new wall. Wessler said, "One of the great things about this wall is the new people that are coming to climb that wouldn't have otherwise came."

Reilly readily admitted that with Nelson and Pepin recently renovated, Fletcher Field House is now the primary project within the athletic facilities. Its leaking roof and crowded, confined indoor track are among the biggest problems facing the old field house. "Nelson is not a replacement [for Fletcher] other than it gives us more recreational opportunities," Reilly maintains.

Long-term plans are being considered for a new field house but at the moment only a temporary plan is in place. Given the recent approval by the Board of Trustees to continue with plans for the new library and technology center and new Atwater Commons, there are other more pressing needs for which the college is allocating money. Fletcher will receive renovations to its roof this summer, as plans for an overhaul are uncertain at this time.

The trend of the Nelson project and those on the drawing board for the library and Atwater Commons would as Reilly termed it, "Add to residential life on campus." The new construction like that in Nelson also helps attract not only higher-caliber athletes but also higher-caliber students. Nelson Arena was not necessarily completed for varsity teams as only the tennis team will regularly use the arena's courts but for the Middlebury student in general.

In a tentative outlook for the future of the athletic facilities at Middlebury, Reilly would also like to see an improvement in field space, which has suffered with the advent of recent construction. He expressed a desire to light Kohn Field, which is Middlebury's only artificial turf field, yet readily admitted that there are more pressing needs on campus than the upgrades to such facilities.