I used to love this gym. It provided many years of great memories, good friends, and most importantly, the source of my basketball fanaticism.
I'll only speak on the basketball courts, since that's pretty much what I exclusively used here. The courts themselves are amazing. Soft-rims, clear lines, and when it isn't being assaulted by other rec classes' scuffing shoes, great floors! And let's not forget the historical significance! This was the '92 Dream Team's practice facility, and the locale of their only loss (even if it was a scrimmage)! It's kind of breathtaking to think that I'm playing on the same floor where Barkley dunks of Malone, or where Magic Johnson comes back from retirement to dish out a few more beautiful assists.
Unfortunately, they redid the floors entirely, and now it's... eh. But the biggest cardinal sin lies in the scheduler's completely disregard towards basketball players (or maybe the entire sport itself). They prioritize rec classes, and other sports in a "basketball" court! Some would argue:
"But they pay for those classes!" - That would hold merit if they didn't raise our tuition enough to build an entire basketball stadium, much less an additional court. Shouldn't students - whose single tuition would more than cover an entire rec classes's fees a thousand-fold - be given priority?
"Well, what about the other sports!? They matter too!" - They have several handful of combat rooms for karate. They could use the marginal amount of money it would take to renovate the auxiliary rec gym next door and use that exclusively for badminton or whatever. Instead, they keep the blue "lego room" gym for no reason, and over-saddle Main Gym's schedule instead.
It's kind of sad that this basketball shrine - which should be a historic landmark dedicated to basketball - is now relegated to the bottom of the barrel. The few times it is open - and it's getting rarer and rarer - is still a treat for an addict like me, but it's not the same as it was before. read more