TAMPA, Fla. — Getting a total office makeover makes everyone feel a little bit better about physically coming to work.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies had a little pep in their collective step when they opened their newly-renovated practice facility.
The team used to train on their game field at Al Lang Stadium, and they also used another field on the campus of USF-St. Petersburg. But this preseason, ownership moved the team's training center just north of Tampa International Airport.
It includes two regulation-sized fields and an additional artificial turf surface. The indoor portion has state-of-the-art exercise and treatment equipment, along with film rooms and a new locker room.
"When we first arrived, it was like, super-exciting. Just ready to get to work," said midfielder Lewis Hilton. "For a player to come here every day and have the pitches and this building, the facilities that we’ve got. Just feels incredibly professional and makes it so enjoyable to be part of this club."
Rowdies head coach Neill Collins says the team is inspired by ownership's willingness to dedicate substantial resources to maintain their status as a first-class organization.
"The players deserve it for the professionalism that they’ve shown," Collins said after practice. "That we continue to match that as we strive to get better together and keep bringing success to this team. And this gives us a chance to do that."
Now, Collins and his staff have multiple rooms to spread out laptops, tv screens, and dry-erase boards. This is where they do all the dirty work that prepares the team for game day.
"I think over the past two or three years, we’ve developed a process that we’re constantly reviewing and refining," Collins added. "But that’s why you’ve got good coaches with you. To get together. And we all try and collaborate. We all have our ideas, and it’s up to me to try and take the best of them and put them together."
The Rowdies open the preseason this weekend with a closed exhibition game against New England. Hilton said he's excited to see what this year's new-look roster is capable of doing in 2023. He added that it's always nice to get a chance to play against somebody other than your teammates.
"It’s my fourth season with the club. Probably the most excited I’ve been so far," Hilton said. "It’s been a while since playing a competitive game. Looking forward to Saturday, for sure."
