Simpson athletic facilities promote community relations with local residents

Simpson athletic facilities promote community relations with local residents

by Seth Nailor

Avid users of the weight room, racquetball courts, swimming pool or any other of the facilities that the Cowles Field House has to offer might have noticed many members of the Indianola community taking advantage of what Simpson has to provide.

Simpson offers a Simpson Athletic Club membership to any community resident. This membership allows people around the community a chance to work out at Simpson.

There are several different types of memberships that you can choose from when purchasing this pass. “There are different fees depending on what you want,” said Assistant Athletic Director Ron Peterson.

Community members can buy a family pass, an individual pass, a pass for couples or a swim only pass. Simpson also offers senior citizen discounts and a free alumni membership for up to three years after graduation.

According to Karen Duncan in the business office, there are currently 106 Simpson Athletic Club memberships with around 250 people using them. This creates 250 more people using the equipment that aren’t Simpson students.

In an attempt not to short Simpson students on time with the facilities, the athletic department creates a schedule that is sent out monthly to members letting them know when they can come in to work out.

Many of these times offered to non-students are off hours and weekends when the Simpson athletic teams are not holding practices.

The pool is open from 6-8 a.m. and 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The rest of the facilities are open according to practice times for the athletic teams and other scheduled events.

The weight room is reserved for Simpson students only from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the afternoons. This was done to try and keep some of the high school crowd out and give Simpson students their own time to the facilities.

Eric Larsen, an Indianola resident, has a membership here at Simpson and finds time to use the facilities without a problem.

“I usually come in on Sundays around this time [4 p.m.] or on week nights after work.” Larsen started with a family pass but now just uses a single pass to play racquetball.

Junior Nate Foley has rarely had problems with members using the Simpson facilities. “A couple of times some high school student’s have been in there messing around when adults are in using it. It really hasn’t bothered me at all.”

“As long as they are using it for its purpose,” said Foley.