Sport Facilities III
94
FaCility Planning
Case Study:
Facility Planning for the Future
Kim D. Walsh King’s – Edgehill School
Abstract This case study encompasses the review of present athletic facilities at King’s – Edgehill
School (KES) and ultimately the plan for projected facility needs at the school. There was a need to review a number of facility development plans, over the past couple of decades, commissioned by the school. The most recent plan was titled, Staying Competitive – A Long Range Facilities Plan (Harvey, 2015). This plan reviewed a number of new outdoor and indoor facilities on cam- pus. There was a meeting of KES community stakeholders including parents, administration, faculty, administrative staff, athletics, and other interested parties. This meeting was set to iden- tify interest and need for new facility development for the future success of the school.
This particular project looked at the present programs and facilities available at KES, and an inventory was developed and shared with the administration, faculty, and maintenance staff. There was also an athletic program and facility survey produced and e-mailed to the entire school community including faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumni. This survey ultimately served to define what programs are important to the school now and into the future and what facilities will have to be developed to provide adequately for those programs.
Athletics is an important part of school life at KES. As one of the school pillars, the fo- cus on athletic participation comes from the KES Athletics philosophy of preparing students for postsecondary education and developing a lifelong enthusiasm for spiritual and intellectual growth (Walsh, 2014). The lessons learned on the court, in the gym, in the pool, on the course, and on the field enhance the educational objectives of the school and better prepare students to lead balanced productive lives. Facility development is at the heart of the growth and success of the school and the best plans for the future must include all stakeholders and look beyond the immediate needs.
Keywords: design; planning
Kim D. Walsh is the director of athletics at King’s - Edgehill School, Windsor, N.S., Canada. Please send author correspondence to kwalsh@kes.ns.ca
Journal of Facility Planning, Design, and Management
Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 94–102
https://doi.org/10.18666/JFPDM-2016-V4-I2-7887
Facility Planning for the Future 95
King’s – Edgehill School (KES), in Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada, is just completing its 227th year. It is a small independent school and operates as a Grade 7–12, coeducational board- ing school on 65 acres of land less than 45 min outside the province’s capital city, Halifax. The school is presently preparing for growth in athletic and other facilities with the addition of an arena and numerous other first class venues to this ample space, which already includes
• academic building, • athletic center, • cafeteria, • clay tennis courts, • dormitories, • fitness facility, • performing arts center, • rugby and soccer pitches, • school chapel and library, • swimming pool, and • wrestling room.
All facilities have space and opportunities for the 320 students and 35 full-time faculty to use for an enhanced educational experience.
This project was designed to take a more global look at facility needs on the KES campus and the planning process. There have been numerous preceding studies and plans to further develop the physical plant of the school, but not all have depended on the resource of feedback from wider community input. The KES community is passionate about athletics, and the facili- ties are a tool in providing the best opportunities for the entire school community.
As one of the school pillars, athletics is vital in the lives of all students, faculty coaches/ sports-masters, staff, and house parents. A mandatory school activity for the entire school com- munity, a number of athletic opportunities are available for all three of the school terms. The recent facility development survey listed 24 athletic choices for which the school community could provide feedback. The survey was used to collect feedback from students, faculty, alumni, parents, and staff. Responses were solicited for the present facilities and whether or not they meet needs: pool, soccer fields, rugby fields, tennis courts, fitness facility, gymnasium, commit- tee room (meeting spaces), storage areas, and wrestling room. Participants were also asked to reflect on the present programs that they felt were the most important to continue at KES. They had the choice to select “All” or any of the sports listed. The sports that received the most positive responses, over 35%, are listed in descending order:
• soccer • track and field, • rugby, • skiing, • fitness, • basketball, • ice hockey, • snowboarding, • cross-country, • all, • biathlon, and • wrestling.
These were ranked as the top 12, and the remaining 12 sports weighed as low as 13.3%.
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The other main feedback from the survey included ranking the present facilities and future programs and finally and most important the new facilities were seen as critical to meet the needs of the present and future programs of the school and community. This information (see Table 1) is current with the present inventory of facilities and will help to define the future facility development of KES for years to come.
Table 1 Needs Assessment Synthesized KES Program Results 2015
Answer choices Responses
% n Soccer 50.67 76 Track and Field 48.00 72 Rugby 48.00 72 Skiing 48.00 72 Fitness Facility 46.67 70 Basketball 46.00 69 Winter Term Varsity Hockey 45.33 68 Snow Boarding 44.67 67 Cross-Country 42.00 63 ALL 40.00 60 Biathlon 39.33 59 Wrestling 37.33 56 Tennis 34.67 52 Developmental Hockey 34.67 52 Badminton 32.67 49 Outdoor Pursuits 31.33 47 Recreational Swimming 30.67 46 Cycle Racing 28.67 43 Fall Hockey 28.00 42 Yoga 27.33 41 Recreational Volleyball 22.00 33 Dance 20.67 31 Table Tennis 20.67 31 Golf 19.33 29 Curling 18.00 27 Equestrian 13.33 20
Basic statistics
Minimum 1.00
Maximum 26.00
Median 14.00
Mean 13.36
Standard Deviation
7.51
Note. Total Respondents = 150.
Facility Planning for the Future 97
The Project Quality athletic facilities and programs are a main goal for KES. Planning for the future is
imperative to ensure a match between the structural developments and the programs offered at KES. These must in turn reinforce the mission of the school. Athletics are an essential way of life for the entire KES school community and work to enhance the overall academic standards and objectives. The KES Athletics philosophy is to
1. Inspire students in academic, athletic and artistic excellence with a commit- ment to the traditional community ideals of gentleness and learning, dignity and respect.
2. Provide students with an opportunity to discover and cultivate their unique potential, prepare for post-secondary education and develop a life-long enthu- siasm for spiritual and intellectual growth.
3. Provide every athlete in the athletics program with a positive growth experi- ence in order to reach their full potential.
4. Instill a lifelong appreciation for athletic participation and personal develop- ment. (Walsh, 2014, p. 2)
For the school community to enable its population to meet the various athletic demands and opportunities, the planning of the appropriate facilities must be done with the entire school population in mind, and the school community needs to understand the effect and inclusion of the neighboring community and other partnerships that the school pursues. The school has begun to build and rekindle relationships with the provincial sport governing bodies of hockey, soccer, wrestling, and rugby, to name a few, and will look to include them and others in future programming and facility planning. To inspire students, schools need more than facilities. Great facilities and the interrelationship of those facilities with present developments of the physical plant can certainly aid in enhancing the campus and recruiting high quality coaches, who in turn attract quality student-athletes. With superb facilities, the school is able to provide a wide range of recreational and varsity programs. With quality facilities, such as the present rugby and soccer pitches, the school has played host to numerous regional, provincial, and national tournaments. This aspect of athletics provides opportunities for leadership development for the faculty as well as the student-athletes above and beyond the obvious competitive opportunities. With more ably planned facility development, the school will further enhance its reputation as a center for excellence.
This project began with a review of the present KES athletic facilities. The facility inventory is the starting place for the long-range plan. The next step of the process was to review a number of the previous plans which all looked at mainly field development and most recently a rink. The latest document, Staying Competitive – A Long Range Facilities Plan, lists the following facilities Academic Wing extension: lecture theatre and visual arts, new dining hall, and arena includ- ing a first class wrestling, yoga, and cross-fitness area and indoor track, rugby clubhouse and new pitch, and an outdoor artificial turf field and synthetic running track. Since this document was produced, the arena has taken on a more complex ownership group, composed of various community partners. KES is represented on this society by the headmaster, and the school will continue to have a seat on this body that will help govern the facility and its development.
The follow-up to the future facility plan of KES was to next solicit feedback on programs and facilities from the KES community. In the design of the survey, it was important to not suggest facilities for the future, but to open this up for the school community to project its own views for the future development for the school. The survey comprised 12 questions from identi- fying demographics, to giving feedback on present programs and facilities, to identifying future programs, and the main part of the survey was to identify any new athletic facilities critical to meeting the needs of the KES community into the future. The majority of the respondents to the
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survey were alumni, parents, and students, respectively. Of students who responded, most were in senior high, particularly Grade 11, with slightly more responses from males than females. Of all respondents, 83% were very satisfied to somewhat satisfied with the present athletic program offering, with 96% reflecting that the present facilities adequately accommodate the school com- munity. The respondents who indicated programs most important to continue from those pres- ently offered at KES were split between the top 12, over 35%, and the bottom 12, less than 35%.
Of the top 12 athletic programs listed in the survey as most important to continue, soccer, track and field, rugby, and skiing are by number the largest sports in the school by participation and are done on outdoor fields (indoor fields outside the community during poor weather) and a track. The school presently has four fields, which are limited in use only by weather, and there is presently no track. Rugby continues to be a top competitive sport provincially for the school. Skiing combines varsity and mostly recreational participants, whereas soccer, track, and rugby are varsity sports. In decreasing order of programs most important to continue, fitness facility and basketball take place in the school’s newest athletic facility, the Ted Canavan Athletic Centre (AC). Fitness Facility is a recreational program that occurs in the fitness area of the AC and is usually reserved for students not as directed to varsity sports or those who use it during the rehab of an injury. This is also offered as a sport during each of the three terms. Winter term varsity hockey, listed at number seven, has had much attention and focus to rebuild the program, particularly the male side. It should be noted that fall hockey ranked 19th on the list, behind de- velopmental hockey (14th). Both boys’ and girls’ programs withdrew from the NSSAF provincial high school hockey league and have hosted only a couple games each year since that time. The tradition of this sport in the school as well as being identified as a flagship sport will continue to drive its success. The school is located next to Long Pond, identified as the “Birthplace of Hockey.” KES has found itself directly in the claim to have been part of ice hockey history; the boys of Windsor’s King’s College School adapted their British game of Hurley to the ice. And Hurley-on-ice developed over time into the internationally popular game of ice hockey, still considered by most Canadians as their national sport. King’s College School (the boys’ school) amalgamated with Edgehill School for girls in 1976 to become the present KES.
Snowboarding and cross-country complete the eighth and ninth spots for present pro- grams. These programs are most important to continue, as noted in the survey. Snowboarding is a popular sport for a select group of varsity athletes and the large numbers, by participation, are due to the popularity to the international community as a sport not available in their native countries. Cross-country running is a varsity sport that caters to a select number of competitive runners, but also a number of athletes who wish to use this sport to start the school fall term getting in great physical condition. This sport is done on the large pristine campus, and it retains a modest number of participants. “All” is the next selection, in order as identified in the survey, which notes that a significant number of respondents felt that all facilities were important to continue. The final two sports identified in the top 12 were biathlon and wrestling. Both are var- sity sports and provide opportunities to individuals who may or may not have had experience in traditional team sports in the past. Both sports have a great tradition of success at the provincial and national levels. The biathlon athletes compete mainly in the cadet competitions and wres- tling athletes compete in the NSSAF provincial high school open division as well as in the open club provincial to national competitions. Both sports develop student-athletes from within the school and would rarely, if ever, benefit from having a student attend the school with previous experience in either sport.
Sports that are listed in the bottom 12 are a mixture of mostly recreational activities (10/12). Tennis ranks at the top of the bottom 12 activities and is mainly recreational. It benefits from use of the public courts, from being adjacent to the school, as well as from a recent addition of a dou- ble clay court in the center of campus. Developmental hockey is mostly junior school centered, and students who like to play but have no experience play as well. One of the largest activities by
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participation is badminton (15th), and this has only a couple students who compete interscho- lastically. Outdoor pursuits are relatively new to the program and support the Duke of Edinburg program. Recreational swimming, which is offered in all three terms and uses the school pool, is not popular by participation numbers and has had to be canceled in the last two winter terms. Cycle racing (18th) has been introduced as a varsity sport for the past 2 years and combines rac- ing opportunities in road racing and mountain bike racing. It has been popular by participation. Sports such as yoga, dance, golf, curling, and equestrian, although low ranking from the list, are important to round out alternative programs to the more traditional activities. Dance, curling, recreational volleyball, and equestrian are offered only as part-time sports, whereas yoga, as of the fall of 2015, is a full-time sport. Yoga participation has been filled to capacity for the fall and spring terms. The school lacks a proper yoga facility, as this is a new program. Table tennis is a mixture of recreational and varsity participants and attracts a small number of participants.
The survey indicated new athletic programs that might be considered as part of the long- term facility development plan. The planning of future programs will directly affect any vision of future facility development. Other than present programs already offered, the responses on new programs ranged from the more popular selections of squash, martial arts, competitive swimming, softball, and football to the selections that were less frequent such as baseball, cricket, cross fit, field hockey, fencing, gymnastics, lacrosse, triathlon, and paintball. Before offering new programs, the school has to approve additions through the management committee. Offering new programs sometimes has a negative effect on present programs. A small school can only of- fer a magic number of programs before they compete with one another and sometimes eliminate both. Some sports are not offered in other school jurisdictions, and this can negatively affect the competitive opportunities. The school has to be cautious in the review of any risk analysis of new sport additions. Sometimes an innovative option such as karate is attractive to offer at the school.
The school is planning on offering a karate program starting in the spring. This would have to not conflict with the already successful and popular wrestling program. Sports that are similar and are more fringe sports are of interest to a limited number of participants, and offering these the same term would hurt both.
The school had planned squash courts in its original plan for its athletic center, but finances were an issue at the time of development. This would be well received by students and faculty alike and is a different option not already offered.
The pool is not large enough to offer competitive swimming, and the school has offered to bring in a local club to run the afternoon sports swim program to no avail this past year.
Softball is a program that was is offered intermittently in the junior school, and in the past the senior school, for each gender. Like other programs, it requires a passionate individual with- in the school to motivate student interest and run a successful program.
The school does not own a football facility, but a national caliber facility exists just outside the town limits. Football is an expensive program to offer, and it would directly compete with the soccer program in the fall for field time. Football is a program that has become popular in the lo- cal and provincial high school level as well as within the private school system. The school has of- fered a few of the number of the less frequently listed options such as fitness classes, field hockey, fencing, and gymnastics. A couple of these programs were popular in the distant past, and some would require technical expertise and risk assessment review if more interest would dictate.
The KES facilities that were seen to be critical to meet the needs of the King’s – Edgehill School Community over the next decade were headed up by the most popular selection of a new arena. This was followed by the wish to develop a track (indoor and outdoor) and to plan a new all-weather field. The remainder of the requests were well below the first three—squash courts were listed along with improvements on the present rugby, soccer fields, and wrestling facilities.
Since the solicitation of the school community, the school has been proceeding with its dis- cussions with numerous parties regarding a new arena. The new arena is presently supported by
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the community, local municipal governments, and provincial government and is awaiting fed- eral government financial support. The plan is for the facility to house a double pad arena, two indoor all-weather fields (above the arenas), indoor track, wrestling facility, and fitness training area. The building will be owned and operated by a community partnership and will house the Hockey Heritage Museum and other amenities, including a full-serve restaurant.
This new facility, although not owned by the school, will help to support a number of the athletic programs and services, without the direct responsibility of owning, operating, and man- aging the facility. The new arena will be located at the back of the current school athletic center and will be on land donated by the school, as part of the school’s financial support to the project.
Conclusion KES has been in existence for 227 years and has successfully navigated the sometimes deli-
cate balance of program delivery with facility development, along with financial uncertainty, in challenging and more favorable financial environments. The school is constantly evaluating facility and program development. Some years school finances have directed the ultimate ad- vancement of facilities or programs. One point is certain: There must be a plan for future action on facility development for the school to move in the most positive direction in a consistent, progressive, and meaningful way. It is a competitive environment within the independent school system, and other options are available to students. Students are recruited internationally these days, more than ever, and national borders are not a limitation. Schools must behave more like a business and ensure that their programs and facilities set them apart from the many options out there. Too often the planning for a facility commences on a whim or at best a perception that a facility is required, without any assessment of whether it is needed by the community it is intended to serve. This often results in facilities that are inappropriate, are a financial burden, or worse still, are not required by the community. A needs assessment is therefore a vital first step in the facility planning process.
The planning for future facility development must be tied to the program offerings of the school. New facilities and programs must in some way reflect the culture of the school and be consistent with the mission of the school ethos. In planning facility development, KES has made an effort to involve the school community and the neighboring community. It has also involved the local, provincial, and federal governments; provincial sport associations; and various other partners. The location of the new arena facility is immediately behind the present athletic center. The work on the development of the community arena has been a personal project of the head- master of KES for a number of years and will help to serve the school and greater community. The culture of the school has long been tied to ice hockey and its direct involvement in being part of the “Birthplace of Hockey.” This development will further enhance many of the existing and new school athletic programs.
There is consistency in the information solicited at the various information sessions as well as from the school-wide survey in December 2015. In the survey, sent to the school community in December 2015, 3,920 e-mails were sent (via push page); 36% looked at the push page, but only 4% completed the survey. The feedback is certainly useful, as is the communication with the school community. The school has had the opportunity to look to the future with the assistance of the many partners and members of the school community and glean some focus as to the most effective use of school resources in developing a facility development plan for the future. Some of these initiatives are already in full planning mode, and others will have to be looked at more closely. It appears that the present programs and facilities are serving the school well. The sports that received the most positive responses from the survey, in descending order, were soccer, track and field, rugby, skiing, fitness facility, basketball, winter term hockey, snowboard- ing, cross-country running, all (as an option to select every sport), biathlon, and wrestling. Of these most notable sports that are presently offered, these sports are reflected closely in the most
Facility Planning for the Future 101
popular selections of new facilities to invest in, as indicated in the survey, in descending order of popularity: new arena, track (indoor and outdoor), and an all-weather field. The remainder of the requests were well below the first three—squash courts, improvements to the present rugby and soccer fields, and improvements to the wrestling facilities. Squash court was one of the high- er options in the survey of new programs to consider offering.
The school must continue to be more long-term oriented with facility development to en- sure that facilities enhance the school culture and overall success of the school. This process is dynamic and must continue to be reviewed in times of actual building as well as in the off years, to ensure that any developments are current and essential to the long-term development of the school. Sport and recreation is no longer an “add-on” to the social fabric of society but a necessary and essential component in the enhancement of the community’s lifestyle. A needs as- sessment will identify the real needs of a community and thus will ensure that the community’s lifestyle is enhanced in the best possible way. This process has offered the school community a direction to develop select new facilities as well as to upgrade existing facilities. The following stages in the plan will be to look at feasibility studies along with fundraising. This will be followed by the design phase, which will include Developing a Management Plan, Design Brief, Design Team, Schematic Design, Design Development, and Contract Documentation, to be followed by Construction and Evaluation.
Recommendations It is recommended, based on the results of the survey and the needs of the school, that
King’s – Edgehill School continue to seek school community input in future development and that future capital development clearly reflect present and future program needs for the school community and community at large. An arena has been identified as a clear need of the school, and as long as capital funding is available, it would be wise to invest in new track facilities as well as turf fields as the major next step in meeting the school’s present and future needs. As a private institution, the school relies on the direct support of the alumni, and with them included in the process of planning, the more they will be interested in contributing to the capital campaigns in which the school is involved.
As identified in the conclusion above, the planning for future facility development must be tied to the program offerings of the school. New facilities and programs must in some way reflect the culture of the school and be consistent with the mission of the school ethos.
References Harvey, H. (2015). Staying competitive – A long range facilities plan. Windsor, Canada: King’s –
Edgehill School. Walsh, K. D. (2014). KES policy statements and guidelines. Windsor, Canada: King’s – Edgehill
School.
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Appendix
KES Athletic Facilities Assessment
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