The Charger Blog
Open to student-athletes for the first time this semester, the Peterson Performance Center is offering exciting opportunities for Chargers to up their game. A world-class space equal to what would be found at the Division I level, it promises to further elevate the student-athlete experience.
August 30, 2023
When Carleigh Vedder Ӱԭ24, Ӱԭ25 M.S. first walked into the UniversityӰԭs new , she says she felt starstruck. The talented athletes who were training here werenӰԭt world-famous athletes Ӱԭ they were her fellow Chargers. And Vedder herself.
A Minnesota native, Vedder is a member of the . The PPC serves all student athletes, offering a world-class facility for them to train individually and as teams.
ӰԭIӰԭm big on working out, and itӰԭs my passion,Ӱԭ she said. ӰԭA facility like this is beyond my wildest dreams. Having this space for student-athletes and the sense of community it offers is great.Ӱԭ
Officially opened earlier this summer, the PPC offers a multitude of opportunities for the UniversityӰԭs more than 500 student-athletes to up their game. Staff saw more student-athletes working out on campus over the summer, and they were charged up to be using the new space.
The new facility offers a world-class weight room full of natural light and stocked with top-of-the-line equipment, from dumbbells emblazoned with the Charger logo (the logo rotates so that the Charger is always upright, no matter how the weights are stacked) to a Charger blue and gold turf area. Student-athletes can also get in their cardio on the second level, where they can run on treadmills overlooking the weight training area.
Jonathan Mays, Ph.D., interim director of athletics, was a part of the design process. He says being in the facility now is even better than heӰԭd ever imagined. ItӰԭs a space that, he says, is inviting, motivating for student-athletes, and exciting for prospective students.
ӰԭCompared to the rest of our conference and the region, thereӰԭs nothing like this,Ӱԭ he said. WeӰԭve had Division I transfers and other recruits come through here. ItӰԭs state-of-the-art. ItӰԭs not just weights, but itӰԭs sports performance. ItӰԭs everything that goes with being a better athlete.Ӱԭ
The facility, which includes offices for athletics administration and coaches, also offers state-of-the-art sports medicine space, as well as a nutrition center. Giye Jenkins Ӱԭ25 has already been using the space. As a member of the , he believes the PPC is well-equipped to enable him and his fellow Chargers to build their strength even faster and to develop the intricate muscles theyӰԭll need to excel on the gridiron.
Jenkins lights up as he describes the new football locker room, a space he describes as Ӱԭamazing,Ӱԭ Ӱԭbeautiful,Ӱԭ and Ӱԭfirst class.Ӱԭ ItӰԭs easy to get charged up for a game there, he says, with the TVs, speakers, and Bluetooth technology.
ӰԭAfter practice, our energy and morale are so high,Ӱԭ said Jenkins, a computer science major. ӰԭThis top-notch facility is a dream. IӰԭm living my college football dream.Ӱԭ
Every square inch of the facility was methodically thought out, says , head strength and conditioning coach who worked closely with the buildingӰԭs architects. He says that throughout the design process, they had three important rules to follow when it came to every square inch of space: No short cuts, only the highest-quality materials and equipment, and rules one and two were nonnegotiable.
ӰԭAfter two and a half years of designing this space, seeing the studentsӰԭ faces and what the space will offer them is so rewarding,Ӱԭ said Faugno. ӰԭItӰԭs fun Ӱԭ and they canӰԭt believe the size and the detail. From a recruiting standpoint, itӰԭs a Division I-level space. ItӰԭs a place to train at a very high level. Coaches are experiencing the changes too, as we can recruit athletes we never could before.Ӱԭ
The space is not yet complete, as construction continues on the third level. When itӰԭs finished, it will offer a team meeting room that can be split into thirds, enabling nearly 200 athletes to collaborate. ThatӰԭs also where coaches will have offices, and there will be additional bathrooms. The University is also enhancing the adjacent .
The PPC is named in honor of David Peterson Jr. Ӱԭ88, Ӱԭ17 Hon., who has generously supported the development of the center. A former member of the Chargers football team and an Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Peterson is excited to see the opportunities the space will offer to todayӰԭs and tomorrowӰԭs student-athletes.
ӰԭI enjoy giving back to the athletics program because it makes a direct impact on student-athletesӰԭ lives,Ӱԭ said Peterson, a member of the UniversityӰԭs Board of Governors. ӰԭItӰԭs only been open a short time, and its already making a huge difference in their lives. The PPC is now one of top training facilities in the country, period. They will never regret saying, ӰԭI worked out at the PPC today.Ӱԭ IӰԭm proud to be a part of this transformation. We are just getting started!Ӱԭ
ӰԭAlumni support is why weӰԭve grown so much as a school,Ӱԭ added Jenkins. ӰԭTheir support has allowed us to renovate and enhance our facilities. Our alumni Ӱԭ especially our football alumni Ӱԭ have made us a pillar school. IӰԭm so grateful for that.Ӱԭ
Several generous University alumni and former student-athletes have also supported the PPC. David Loane Ӱԭ91 (also a football alum) and Penny Loane Ӱԭ91, who earned degrees in general dietetics, respectively, have offered their support of the PPCӰԭs new nutrition station.
ӰԭBeing part of the Peterson Performance Center and adding a nutrition component to this facility was extremely important to us,Ӱԭ they said. ӰԭWhen we started talking about how to help the athletes, it was always our vision to get a nutrition center with a nutrition bar, grab-and-go meals for athletes, a nutrition professional to help educate and assist athletes, and an athletic cafeteria.Ӱԭ
The nutrition professional is Caroline ӰԭTingӰԭ Ashworth Ӱԭ25 M.S., who is also an experienced student-athlete. Ashworth has played soccer since she was in the second grade. Interested in ensuring that she always performed her best, she became interested in nutrition when she was a senior in high school.
After earning her bachelorӰԭs degree in nutrition sciences from Drexel University, Ashworth decided to pursue her masterӰԭs degree in nutrition sciences at the University of New Haven. A sports nutrition graduate assistant, she is committed to making sure Chargers feel and perform their best. SheӰԭs already been creating a wide array of tasty, energy-packed smoothies and other treats to ensure that student-athletes are fully charged and ready to excel.
Ashworth hopes to eventually expand her role beyond creating wholesome foods for student-athletes. She envisions teaching them to take their nutrition into their own hands, perhaps by offering student-athletes the chance to learn how to cook and prepare healthy foods, such as energy bowls. SheӰԭs looking forward to meeting with teams and with athletes one-on-one during the academic year.
ӰԭIӰԭm building a fueling station beyond proteins and bars,Ӱԭ she said. ӰԭI want athletes to have access to whole foods such as yogurt and fruit. I think making an impact on athletesӰԭ performance, as well as their lives, is so important. I want them to know how to eat well outside of athletics. IӰԭm excited to build this from the ground up.Ӱԭ
Vedder, the volleyball player and marketing and nutrition sciences major, is also looking forward to taking advantage of the nutrition station and to working with Ashworth when sheӰԭs in the PPC. She also had the opportunity to meet David and Penny Loane at an event Ӱԭ and she says meeting them was a bit like walking into the PPC for the first time.
ӰԭI was starstruck when I met them,Ӱԭ she said. ӰԭPenny Loane is a dietitian, and seeing their success and the pride they had coming here was incredible. Being a student-athlete is a unique experience, and having this space for us, as well as the support of the Charger community, is great.Ӱԭ
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