Diablo Performance Center: Fit to be tried

September 26, 2007

The name of the fitness center at Arizona State University’s West campus – the Diablo Performance and Recreation Center – is nearly as impressive as the facility’s continued growth and its ability to re-invent itself almost annually to better fit the needs of the nearly 9,000 students who call the northwest Phoenix campus home.<separator></separator>“We’re always looking for ways to improve our offerings, our services and our resources,” says Keith Munson, second-year director of the center. “You can’t stand still, because everything related to your customer changes so quickly.<separator></separator>“You stay in shape keeping up.”<separator></separator>If improvements and growth are, indeed, exercise, then Munson and his staff must be short on breath. From new cardio equipment to the addition of TV’s throughout the facility, and from expanded intramural sports to Health Exercise Science (HES) credit courses in pilates, yoga and fitness, the center sports a wide range of fitness and recreation options for ASU students, faculty, staff, alumni, and their family members.<separator></separator>Located in the basement of the University Center Building (UCB) in the heart of the campus, the center features 6,000 square feet of space occupied by:<separator></separator><ul style="margin-top: 0in"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; line-height: 150%">Fully equipped weight room. The weight room features an updated floor design to accommodate new Cybex strength machines; </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; line-height: 150%">Aerobics room. Focused on an “efficiency with more space” philosophy, new cardio equipment includes six Precor elliptical machines, six Precor treadmills, and six Precor stationary bikes; </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; line-height: 150%">Boxing station. New in 2007, the station has a speed bag and a heavy bag for ASU pugilists; </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; line-height: 150%">Body composition testing; </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; line-height: 150%">Men’s and women’s locker rooms; </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; line-height: 150%">Accommodations for individuals with disabilities.</li></ul> “We have the new amenities, we’re starting new intramurals programs and day tournaments, and we’re creating a new high level of customer service with our student ‘Team Fitness’ staff,” says Munson, who assists in individual program development, blood pressure checks, body composition analysis and other fitness assessments. “We want this campus community to embrace this facility for the excellence it represents. We have worked hard, and we continue to work hard, to offer what our customers look for in a full-service fitness center, but we also take seriously the recreation aspect.”<separator></separator>Munson points proudly to advances he and Team Fitness have made in intramural and tournament sports offerings.<separator></separator>“We had 750 students involved with intramurals last year, and we expect the number to grow this year with the expansion of the facilities and the continued addition of competitions like boxing.”<separator></separator>Included on the 2007-08 center schedule are flag football, basketball, soccer, “Sand Devil” volleyball, dodgeball, “Iron Devil” weightlifting, and boxing. Munson is also interested in introducing “grudge matches” in ultimate Frisbee contested by teams from each of the West campus’ four colleges.<separator></separator>“We had a lot of ‘first annual’ events last year, and we will improve upon what we introduced and keep the momentum we have gained,” said Munson.<separator></separator>For students looking to brush up on their ball skills, the center also checks out recreation equipment with any ASU ID card for use on its basketball courts, racquetball courts, sand volleyball courts, and the multi-purpose soccer/football field. The fields and courts are located directly west of the Sands building and south of UCB.<separator></separator>In addition to three HES credit courses, the center offers fee courses in belly dancing, ballroom dancing, salsa dancing, Latin dance aerobics (Zumba), yoga and martial arts. <separator></separator>The Diablo Fitness and Recreation center is open Monday – Saturday throughout the year, except on regular University holidays.

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