Clemson's athletic department made a significant step by opening up a brand new facility that will be open to all student athletes.
Clemson University is doing something that no other athletic department has done.
With the Clemson Athlete Recovery Center (referred to as ARC), all student-athletes will be given the opportunity to break away from the rigors of the field and classroom to recover their bodies and minds.
The ARC is a 10,000 square foot facility overlooking Lake Hartwell and next to its lacrosse field with a fully-stocked kitchen, several recovery modalities, and a restoration room.
It also gives athletes access to custom Theragun massages, red-light therapy, cocoon pods, cryo therapy, a wet float room, and voluntary yoga sessions.
“This is the first of its kind and one-of-a-kind recovery center for student athletes,” Megan Cato, the Wellness Director of the ARC said. “This is a really cool opportunity for student athletes to take wellness and recovery into their own hands, by starting to build habits and routines that work for them.”
The ARC is just a small part of the Watt Family Performance and Wellness Renovation Project.
As members of the IPTAY Athletic Cornerstone Program, both Steven and Michael Watt, who are Clemson alumni, contributed $5.675 million to make the 55,000 square foot Watt Family Performance and Wellness Center, which sits down the street from Memorial Stadium, come to life.
For those unfamiliar with the IPTAY Program, its website describes it as a way of securing fundraising from those who have been relentless in helping improve Clemson’s athletic department.
“First established in 2015, the Athletic Cornerstone Program was created with a goal of securing 10 partners with gifts of $2.5 million and above. Now over a decade later, with 28 total partners and counting, the program has raised over $165M in support of Clemson student-athletes and their programs.”
Over the past 10-plus years, it has helped develop Clemson's 21-sport program with three tiers: Cornerstone Partner, Cornerstone Trailblazer, and Cornerstone Champion.
“It’s been a really cool thing to see how Clemson University, Clemson Athletics are really investing into the holistic idea of the student athlete,” Cato said.
While the facility is filled with cutting-edge recovery technology, its purpose is simple: helping student-athletes perform at their best while maintaining their overall well-being.
For Clemson, the ARC represents another step toward creating an environment where athletes can thrive both on and off the field.
