London, ON - At the recent Western Board of Governors Meeting on April 22, the University approved the 2021-22 budget which included some significant investments in Western Sport and Recreation facilities. The Western Mustangs are very excited about this announcement, and pleased that we will be seeing investment in areas that will impact student well-being and safety, improve sustainability, as well as improve flexibility of use.
 
There will be major improvements made to TD Stadium, including updates to the lights, bleachers, track, and turf.
 
Mustangs Football Head Coach, Greg Marshall, talked about the major impact these improvements will have for the Western community. "The renovations to TD Stadium will have an incredible positive impact on our sport programs at Western. The new state of the art playing surface will increase both performance and player safety. New artificial surfaces have significantly improved since we put in our last installation almost 15 years ago. The updated lighting and bleachers will benefit our student athletes as well as improving the game day experience for our students, faculty, staff and fans. I'm looking forward to getting to playing this fall and welcoming all of our fans as they come to check out the new improvements to our facility. I want to thank the university for their continued support and investment in our sport and recreation programs here at Western."

Jenna Schultz, Western student and Intramural participant and Team Leader, stressed how important upgrades to TD will be for students. "Intramurals are integral to student community, mental and physical health; therefore, upgrades to the stadium would be extremely beneficial. [Western Sport and Recreation] run Intramurals 6 days a week, well into the evening, so functional lights and a safe turf field is important. Students love playing at TD stadium, there's nothing quite like an evening game of flag football under the lights! Upgrades to the field, bleachers and lights will help improve overall student well-being by helping to encourage safe and fun physical activity, and creating a sense of community for the students." 
 
In addition, improvements will be made to the Thompson Recreation Athletic Centre (TRAC) that will have tremendous impact on efficiency and sustainability. One major project includes replacement of brine, piping, systems and removal of existing sand base with a new reinforced concrete rink pad. This will allow for a multi-functional facility with the ability to remove the ice for events and pro-longed time periods. Energy savings during events and shutdowns will be greatly enhanced. As well, there will be a Motor Control Centre (MCC) replacement in TRAC (original to TRAC – 1975) which is the main power source for the refrigeration plant. Upgrading the electrical distribution will provide for better monitoring, energy efficiency, and safety for both staff & the campus community.

The Western Mustangs have also completed some recent smaller renovations and updates to the Thompson Recreation and Athletic Centre (TRAC) facility during recent lockdowns that will complement these recently approved investments. Some updates were made to TRAC that included much needed safety and efficiency improvements: a white mesh netting was installed around the perimeter of the rink, extensive board repairs and painting were completed, and the current 4-sided scoreboard, which dated back to 1975 was replaced. For more details on recent updates: Mustangs Make Improvements to Thompson Recreation & Athletic Centre (TRAC) during Facility Closures - Western Mustangs Sports

"We are excited about the enhancements and commitment Western is making in our sport and rec facilities. There are a lot of people behind the scenes that put in the hard work to make this happen and we are very grateful. Any investment in our facilities is an investment in our student athletes, our programs, and the Western community. Thompson arena (TRAC) feels like our second home and it continues to be among the best in the province." Said Candice Moxley, Mustangs Head Coach Women's Hockey.

In addition to these current investments, the University has also funded the recent addition of the 6^th gym space to the Western Student Recreation Centre (WSRC) in 2018, to replace the closure of Thames Hall Gym; and renovations of the Alumni Hall Locker Rooms, athletic therapy space and meeting rooms in 2019.
 
Christine Stapleton, Western Director, Sport and Recreation, spoke about what these new investments mean for the Western community: "These investments will give Western beautiful, safe, accessible and sustainable spaces we can all be proud of, and where students can come to recreate and compete. It reflects Western's investment into our students' health and well-being.
 
Stapleton also reflected on what it meant for community collaborations: "Partnerships are a key strategic priority for Western, for Student Experience, and for Sport and Recreation. Once the upgrades are complete, these will be attractive, multi-use spaces that support collaborative campus activities for students, staff and faculty. They will also make Western a destination for city, provincial, national and international events."

Kate Current, Western student and member of the Mustangs Track & Field and Cross Country teams, highlighted the importance of these facilities to her and her teammates. "As a fifth-year student athlete on both the Cross Country and Track & Field teams, I have benefited immensely from TD Stadium. We make use of the track during each of the three seasons throughout the year to ensure we are at peak physical fitness. Prior to the U SPORTS Cross Country Championships, we did our final workout on the track to sharpen our speed. We then went on to place sixth in the country, and I was fortunate enough to earn a spot on my first national team. I have spent the past four summers training in London at TD Stadium three times per week. The outdoor season is crucial for developing the endurance and speed that we will later require in both the cross country and indoor seasons. Having TD Stadium has allowed myself and my teammates to reach our full potential as athletes and strive to perform at an elite level." 

Guy Schultz, Mustangs Head Coach Cross Country, told us "The track is used at least once a week during our Cross Country season in the Fall for mobility and speed work, and many of our student athletes also compete in Track and Field at the stadium during the Spring/Summer months. They benefit greatly from these workouts at TD Stadium. Updating the facilities at Western not only helps to reduce injuries and provide a professional facility for specific speed endurance workouts for our student athletes, but is also seen as a strong vote of confidence in our Mustangs teams and helps to recruit future Mustangs, who will all want to train at a world-class facility. We really want to thank the university for this investment."
 
The University has demonstrated a continued commitment to investing in Sport and Recreation in recent years and the Western Mustangs are grateful they recognize the major role that Sport and Recreation plays at Western — helping to form the spirit and tradition at the core of the university community, and playing a pivotal role in the university's post-COVID recovery plans. The renovations and upgrades are scheduled to take place Summer 2021, to be completed by Fall 2021.
 
"Western is very rich in sports tradition, and infrastructure plans like these will ensure Western is relevant for years to come. With seeing decades of changes at the Stadium, it's sports that has continued to build the legacy at the Stadium; Western and London stand to benefit greatly from this revitalization," said Jeff Pacheco, Western Mustangs Head Coach, Field Hockey.