By Alexandra Lopez Petalas, Year 11
There is no doubt that we have all heard of the new Sports Center on campus. It is located next to the Arts Center and is one of, if not the biggest building on our campus. There are 5 multipurpose gyms, 17 changing rooms, areas for relaxation and state-of-the-art fitness and gymnastics rooms.
There are many features in this new gym that are definitely innovative additions to our school. These require several things, firstly, sports kits and indoor shoes have become mandatory. Additionally, this year, it is required for Year 9s and 10s to wear a gym kit; as of next year, this will also include the Year 11s. The purpose of this is to make sure that we all respect the cleanliness of the new facilities, so as to maintain it properly and appropriately for as long as possible. Furthermore, renting PE rooms is now possible. Students (or the public) are allowed to reserve a gym room to enjoy their sport of choice. Just like the Arts Center, the Sports Center is open to public events, which is a great way to engage with the wider community of Geneva. Finally, the architecture of this new building is unique and more modern compared to the surrounding buildings on campus like the Grand Batiment and Vieille Maison. Some would say that it looks out of place, in comparison to these traditional buildings; however, it shows a good and revolutionary change on the campus. The Arts Center which was built in 2014, also has a modern look to it, so the gym blends into the campus well, being adjacent to the Arts Center.
The fitness and gymnastics rooms are the most innovative features of the Sports Center. The fitness room includes interactive walls with music, lights and sensors, personal training programs, and can include activities for people of all ages. It helps people who might not feel very confident in this environment to fully immerse themselves in sports and have fun. The gymnastics rooms are not only safe, but they also include additional activities that we didn’t have before (such as parkour). According to the sports teachers, the gymnastics rooms are “to Olympic standard, in order to allow our young gymnasts to develop their skills far further than was previously possible.” Having 17 changing rooms is also useful when the school hosts local, national and international gymnastics competitions.
When students around campus were asked what they thought about the new gym, all of their answers were positive. “I loved my first PE class there. Even though it looks quite different to some of the other buildings on campus, I’m sure that it will make a big change to the school. ” Another student said, “It looks so much bigger than the old gym and I love that there is a relaxation area”. By now, most students have had at least one class in the new gym and all the student feedback has been positive. Students also mentioned how this new gym would benefit the LGB community as a whole, from Primary through to Secondary School.
