St. Louis, Mo., August 26, 2021 – The Washington University in St. Louis Department of Athletics has recently made several investments to enhance the Bears' student-athlete experience.

Through the W Club, the Annual Fund for Athletics, generous alumni, parents, and friends transform the student-athlete experience and provide support essential to the ongoing growth and development of the department. Gifts to the W Club impact each of WashU's 19 varsity programs by addressing team priorities, as well as provide critical resources for sports performance, sports medicine, online streaming, travel, and NCAA COVID-19 compliance. Annual support ensures the Bears have the resources necessary to excel as they train, compete, and lead.

"Powered by the W Club, we continue to enhance the student-athlete experience," stated Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Director of Athletics, Anthony J. Azama. "While we are only beginning our facility-enhancement projects, we are energized by what is to come for our student-athletes and programs. Every decision is grounded in two questions: Will this enhance the student-athlete experience? And will this help us compete for championships?"

Projects already completed include the state-of-the-art weight equipment to maximize student-athlete development. "Over the past several years, we have made steady improvements," expressed Head Sports Performance Coach, Terry O'Neill. "We upgraded our equipment and expanded to stainless steel dumbbells. We look forward to continuing to advance our Sports Performance program; a critical component of the student experience."

WashU purchased a HitTrax batting cage for the baseball and softball programs, which allows for interactive play and real-time competition. HitTrax helps with hitting, catching and pitching and is able to measure pitch location, point of impact and exit speed to help improve a student-athlete's overall game. "We're thrilled to take the next step in training by incorporating the HitTrax batting cage," explained Head Softball Coach, Michelle Venturella. "This technology allows for meaningful practice guided by analytics that can help improve individual performances."

To complement the Sports Medicine's three hydro pools, the NormaTec leg recovery systems help to relieve muscle aches and/or pain and temporarily increase circulation resulting in increased flexibility and range of motion, injury prevention, and accelerated recovery time. It can be used to prevent delayed-onset muscle soreness, relieve muscle pain, improve athletic performance and increase flexibility and range of motion. "One of the most important aspects of the services we provide to our student-athletes is the access we have to top-of-the-line equipment," said Head Athletic Trainer, Chris Schultheiss. "The addition of the NormaTec recovery systems allows us to expand upon our existing techniques and further support our programs through technology advances and thorough provision of care."

Polar Heart Monitors, which offer GPS and heart rate tracking, have been purchased to share between multiple programs. The devices allow real time data on distance traveled, energy exertion and heart rate and provide an in-depth look at biomechanics and movement. The technology can also be used to monitor fatigue levels and build a database for training.

The Dr. Dish CT shooting machines for the men's and women's basketball programs provide the perfect equipment for team and individual drills. The 15.6" touchscreen can track up to five players at once with multiplayer movement. The patented swivel net system allows for high-rep training during post and finishing drills. "What a game changer for our programs! Basketball student-athletes have consistently utilized various shooting machines to maximize repetitions during periods where time is critical. By investing in this technology, we position our Scholar-Champions to continue to train at the highest levels possible, which translates to on-court success," declared Head Men's Basketball Coach, Pat Juckem.

Several enhancements for both student-athletes and the fan experience have been implemented, starting with a new LED scorer's table for the Field House. Additionally, WashU will be finalizing multiple environmental branding projects in the Athletic Complex. The branding improvements will contribute to telling the stories of student-athletes and programs for visitors to the Danforth Campus and utilize hallways to create a more welcoming and dynamic environment. "What a tremendous opportunity we have to tell the stories of our extraordinary student-athletes, coaches, and programs through new mediums," explained Associate Director of Athletics for External Operations, Chelsea Petersen. "These projects will continue to build our momentum as we look to increase the engagement of our teams, prospective recruits, families, and more." 

Finally, the multi-year partnership with BSN-NIKE, which is the first apparel deal in department history, has provided new uniforms for multiple programs. Eventually, every program will have new custom Nike or Jordan brand uniforms.

Several facility improvements already completed, or underway, include an upgrade to the timing system and video board for the Millstone Pool, an artificial turf surface with a new video board and sound system at Francis Olympic Field, a new surface for Bushyhead Track, and a state-of-the-art golf training center. The varsity softball and Intramural Field renovation began August 23.

For those interested in supporting the Bears experience, please visit: Athletics/W Club.