CLARION, Pa. – What does Clarion University have in common with Harvard, Baylor, and Florida State Universities? It’s one of the 20 higher education institutions in the United States to have a National Fitness Court on campus.
(PICTURED ABOVE: Mike Hindman, Kristen Hindman, Clarion University President Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson, and Jim Kifer, of Clarion County Community Bank. Photos by Dave Cyphert of ProPoint Media Photography)
The court officially opened Wednesday with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting.
President Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson cuts the ribbon to officially open the National Fitness Court. With her (from left) are Center for Wellness director Jim McGee, M&B Services owners Mike and Kristen Hindman, campus recreation coordinator Ewing Moussa, and Fitness Court ambassador Carly Errera.
The 32-by-32-foot, open-air facility – the first National Fitness Court in Pennsylvania – was funded through a $30,000 NFC Fitness Grant as part of the 2019 Healthy College Campaign and an in-kind gift from M&B Services in Clarion. Jim McGee, Director of Clarion University Center for Wellness, said that student input requesting additional outdoor recreation facilities drove the decision to apply for the grant.
The court will be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is free to use for students, faculty, staff and the community; no membership or university affiliation is required.
M&B Services donated excavation, site preparation and concrete.
“The vitality of Clarion University and the Clarion community are inextricably reliant on one another, and this project emphasizes how important our partnerships are,” Clarion University President Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson said.
“When we expressed the need for the grass-covered, sloped piece of ground to be prepared for installation of the Fitness Court, Mike Hindman and Braun Gourley generously offered M&B Services’ labor and materials to make that happen.
“The result is a fitness facility that will benefit campus and community alike. We express our deepest appreciation to M&B Services.”
Mike Hindman added, “Braun and I have always been inspired by the generations that owned and operated businesses before us.The partnerships those businesses had with each other helped to build this community and helped one another to prosper.
“We try to support and give back to the community when we can, as they support us. The university is a big part of that, so partnering with them on this project made sense to us.”
The Fitness Court features seven movement zones with equipment designed to work the entire body. Moves can be modified to accommodate various fitness levels.
“The system is designed to work for every size and shape, age and ability level,” said Cree Larson, National Fitness Court’s director of partnership activation. “It’s digitally connected, with a great Fitness Court app that includes programming, classes, guided workouts and challenges.”
In addition to the app, which is available free through the iTunes App Store and Google Play, Clarion University has a 23-person network of trained Fitness Court ambassadors who will hold classes on the court and facilitate free programming between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. weekly. The program schedule will be available through the app and at the university’s Student Recreation Center.
