Cal Poly Women's Soccer Unveils New Locker Room
7/29/2024 7:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The Cal Poly women’s soccer program unveiled a $250,000 complete renovation of its locker room to the team Monday.
The fully donor-funded project was made possible by generous donations from roughly 50 alumni, friends and family of the program. The complete renovation of the locker room housed inside Mott Athletics Center features 35 brand new Holman lockers, new lighting, flooring, lounge furniture, audio and video systems and a fueling station.
Donors, alumni and families were on hand to see the players’ reaction to walking into the fully renovated locker room for the very first time on the same day the team reported for its 2024 preseason training camp.
We win championships in this program, it’s just what we do. This is going to help us continue to do that.Don Oberhelman, Director of Athletics
“This is pretty incredible, the looks on all of your faces was awesome,” said Director of Athletics Don Oberhelman while addressing the team in the locker room. “… We win championships in this program, it’s just what we do. This is going to help us continue to do that.”
The renovation, which started in March, also includes updated branding throughout that showcases the history of the highly successful program. A plaque highlighting the program’s 10 Big West regular season championships and six NCAA tournament appearances can be seen near one of the entrances, and photos of every single team in the 33-year history of the program can be found on the walls throughout. Head coach Alex Crozier, a record six-time Big West Coach of the Year, said he wanted to make sure everyone that has come through the program was showcased in this historic moment for the team.
“When we talked about branding … I didn’t want to have one or two people up there,” he said, “so every single person that has played here in this program is up on these walls because it’s all part of who we are.”
Oberhelman was also impressed by how much the new graphics highlighted the program’s history.
“I am actually seeing this locker room for the first time as well,” he said, “… because I wanted to see this for myself through [the players’] eyes and one of the things I noticed when I walked in was the branding and graphics. One of my favorite tenants of the Mustang Way is we honor those that came before us.”
Crozier, the only head coach in the history of the Cal Poly women’s soccer program, announced that he will be retiring from the position at the end of the 2024 season. Crozier said he is extremely grateful for everyone that helped make this renovation project possible and he realizes just how much this effort will benefit the program for years to come.
“This wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the people that are here and helped donate … and I can tell you how much I appreciate that,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do this year with the new team room.”
It’s a complete 180, it looks so great in here.Mackenzie Samuel, senior goalkeeper
The renovation of the locker room comes at a time when the program is experiencing unprecedented success and excelling at a high level on and off the pitch. Last fall, Cal Poly finished with six or more wins in Big West play for the third consecutive season — a program first. The Mustangs also made their ninth appearance in the Big West Championships match in 2023 — tied for the most all-time by a team in the conference — a program-record 21 players recorded a point, and 15 players scored a goal, matching a 27-year-old program record. In addition, 13 student-athletes were named to the Big West All-Academic Team this past season, one shy of a program record.
“I think our success in the past couple years has really generated this buzz around our team and I’m excited to keep that going,” senior goalkeeper Mackenzie Samuel said.
When Samuel first saw the new locker room, she was taken aback by how unbelievable it looked.
“I just think we were all really ecstatic,” she said. “A big shoutout to all the donors and alumni that donated to this locker room … it’s a complete 180, it looks so great in here. The space looks so much bigger and brighter, and we’re excited to have a place we can all hang out and spend time with each other.”
Prior to this new face lift, the women’s soccer locker room hadn’t been renovated since 2009, when the program first received its own team room in Mott Athletics Center. The renovation was long-awaited and well-deserved.
“We’re so lucky to have this great of an upgrade,” senior forward Emily Nedom said. “We’re excited to use all these new facilities.”
Nedom, one of 12 seniors on this year’s team, said this locker room reveal is the perfect way to start Crozier’s final season as the team looks to send him out on top.
“For me and some of the other players, this is our last season and this is Alex’s last season, so I think we have a lot of motivation and a lot of drive to do well,” she said “… and we’re kind of excited to not only show off our locker room but also how talented we are on the field.”
Shea Homes of the Central Coast also assisted on the renovation project.
Cal Poly opens its 2024 training camp at 8 a.m. Tuesday. The team’s season opener is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15, against Portland at Mustang Memorial Field at Spanos Stadium.
The looks on all of our players’ faces when they saw our new fully renovated locker room for the first time - priceless ??#RideHigh???? pic.twitter.com/9XrXwMx7oL
— Cal Poly Women's Soccer (@CPWomensSoccer) July 29, 2024
