The UW Bothell campus community will find everything from Frisbees to footballs, as students, faculty and staff celebrate the grand opening of the UW Bothell Sports and Recreation Complex on Thursday. With a shared soccer and softball field, tennis courts, a sand volleyball court and a basketball court that will double as an ice skating rink in February, the 2.5 acre, $3.3 million student-funded complex will meet the needs of a multitude of intramural activities.
Among the first to hit the field will be ultimate Frisbee player Ali Bulzomi. As a sophomore in 2008, the most convenient field for Bulzomi and her friends to play was the North Creek Sports field. However, the students were constantly concerned about the limited lighting and wanted a safe accessible place for recreation. Bulzomi took the idea of an on campus sports field to Vice Chancellor of Administration and Planning Marilyn Cox, who helped put the wheels in motion.
“We’re all here to help and support students,” Cox says. “The sports and recreation facilities will provide not only a place for socializing but will also support health and wellness.”
The planning process has been a collaborative effort of the Associated Student Body and university staff.
Now a staff member at UW Bothell, Bulzomi says completion of student facility is symbolic of the experience that anyone can have at UW Bothell.
“What you do actually matters. UW Bothell staff and administration have direct relationships with students that help build the campus community. Staff cares about students’ concerns and needs, which is really important. It’s really exciting to see the sports field come along. It just shows that our hard work pays off.”
The grand opening ceremony begins at 11:30 a.m. with ribbon cutting at noon. An opening pitch will signal the start of numerous student games and activities, including a home run derby, 3-point shootout, volleyball, tennis, basketball, and even potato sack races.
The Sports and Recreation Complex is the first of three major construction projects to be completed over the next two years on the UW Bothell campus. The $68 million Science and Academic Building is expected to open in late 2014.
Also, the 4,500 square-foot Sarah Simonds Green Conservatory, complete with a greenhouse, education and exhibit space, is scheduled for summer 2013 completion.
