Ratcliffe Weight Room Photo Gallery

When visitors first step foot in the newly-minted Ratcliffe weight room, their eyes can focus on any number of things. The state-of-the-art equipment generally draws the most attention, and rightfully so, serving as the lifeblood of the training center. Of course, the innovative technology and monitors strewn throughout the building attract their fair share of glances as well.

But, for the man who helped breathe life into the new room, the biggest improvement could very well be its simplest. Looking beyond the equipment and technology, the greatest upgrade might just be – well – sunlight.

"We spent a year with absolutely no windows and one door," said Jonathan Dean, who is in his 12th season as Christopher Newport's strength & conditioning coordinator. "It looked like a dungeon. It was absolutely miserable. I had to walk outside just to see if it was still daytime. I had to make it a point to take part of my lunch and walk across campus to get a little Vitamin D in me. Honestly, it's such a simple thing, but just the sunlight and being able to see outside and not feel like you're trapped, was huge."

Of course, the windows that help frame the room's exterior are not solely there to draw the sun's attention. They serve a dual purpose, summoning the interested eyes of anyone nearby. Since opening in the spring, the new weight room has drawn the attention of a steady stream of recruits, parents, and opponents.

"They really wanted to showcase the place with all of the windows," said Dean. "When recruits walk by, they can actually see in, and their parents are in awe. We almost don't have to say anything. They walk in here and don't expect it. A lot of people don't expect it. We have other teams walking by, pressing their faces against the glass, trying to see in. That makes us feel great. It really is great for us."

With high-end facilities dotting the Christopher Newport landscape, it was only a matter of time before the University enhanced the athletic department's weight room. Struggling to keep up with the increased demand of CNU's large student-athlete population, the Captains tripled the size of the weight room while greatly enhancing the equipment and technology that is available.

"You can't express in words how much better this room is over the previous one," said Mike Query, who has served as Dean's assistant for the last year following his first stint with the Captains from 2006-08. "It's a night and day difference. We basically went from a 2000-square foot area to a state-of-the-art weight room overnight. We're able to fit in an entire group and then some, if we need to. We used to have a lot of space issues, but now it's not even really a problem anymore."

The new Ratcliffe weight room is not only a gigantic step forward when compared to Christopher Newport's previous facility, but it is also well above the resources available at most institutions similar to CNU. Query and Dean, who both have Division I experience from their undergraduate and professional careers, were hard-pressed to find comparable facilities.

"At the D3 level, to me, there isn't a comparison. I think there are Division I programs that would really envy this room. I think we're on tier with some mid-level and top-level Division I schools," said Query, before Dean added, "The building as a whole is top-notch. I've been to a lot of places, and strength coaches will walk in here and be envious."

Dean, who was an integral part of designing the new facility, spent a great deal of time finding the right supplier to outfit the new weight room. Eventually, he found the perfect fit in Hammer Strength and Life Fitness, the top-selling global leader in commercial fitness equipment.

"The people that we worked with and the equipment that we got was excellent. It's top-of-the-line," said Dean. "I think the hardest decision was figuring out what equipment we wanted. There are so many companies. We had calls from California, Minnesota, South Carolina. Almost every week we were hearing from people trying to get our business. They all brought something different to the table, and it was all good. We had to narrow it down and figure out what would work best here. It worked out great with Hammer Strength and Life Fitness. I don't think we could have made a bad decision, but they really fit us the best."

Although the elite equipment sets CNU apart from its competition, the Captains still have their sights focused on future advancements. Sitting inside his state-of-the-art facility, Dean is still looking forward, hoping to keep Christopher Newport at the forefront of all the equipment and technological advancements yet to come.

"The technology we're using, with the monitors, is huge. It really helps out. And we have plans to bring in more technology," said Dean. "We're thinking about digital workouts so the student-athletes can go to their platforms and actually see their workouts and count their reps. Even though we have stuff that's light years ahead of everyone else in our conference, we're still thinking ahead. We always come up with new ideas and new ways of doing things. We've been here since March, and we're still coming up with new ideas, and we can do them now. That's the big part. We had big ideas in the old weight room, but we didn't have the space. We had to do everything outside or we had to modify it. But not anymore."

Not only does the new weight room facilitate grand ideas from the strength & conditioning staff, but it also provides a huge service to CNU's student-athletes. Without the spacial constraints of the previous weight room, the staff and facility can accomodate multiple teams at one time and get entire squads in and out in less than half an hour.

In the end, the new facility is another reminder to current and future Captains that Christopher Newport is fully committed to providing the finest services during their collegiate endeavors.

"I think it shows we have a commitment to our student-athletes," said Query. "We're going to give them everything necessary to make them a top-level athlete. Hopefully, it shows that Dean and I have a commitment to do whatever it takes to make them the type of athlete that they want to be. It shows them that we have the type of school and staff that wants to see the best for them. All they have to do is bring that work ethic. With this facility and staff, they have every opportunity to be the best they can be."

--CNU--