This past Hawktober weekend, the University held an unveiling for the new Grant Family Track and Field Facility. As a current member of both the Cross Country and Track teams, I will not attempt to hide my bias: this track is a huge victory for myself and many of my close friends. When I was recruited in my senior year of high school, I was told we would have our track before the end of my freshman year. It is also true that many before me were promised a track they never got, so this has been a long time coming.
Now, I understand that some, perhaps many students, do not see the merit in a new sports facility. I’ve heard countless times that the University doesn’t know what is best for its students and that a parking lot would have been preferable to a track. In my opinion, the majority of students complaining about the track don’t actually know how the decision was made or what resources went into it. As someone close to the topic, I hope to shed some light on the inner workings of the development by directly responding to a couple of critical comments left on the University of Hartford’s Instagram.
On a post from May, Brianna commented, “Why not something that benefits all students, like a parking garage lol.” Firstly, I would say it’s a little bold for Brianna to assume everyone on campus has a car. Regardless, it seems her comment is implying that the University is taking resources meant for all students and using them for the benefit of a small group of students. This is not the case, as the sports department has their own budget that they operate within. Additionally, the new track was made possible largely due to a very generous donation from Kevin Grant and the Grant Family.
On the same post, Kenneth said, “Hartford: let’s drop out of D1. Also Hartford: let’s get a new track for a team with 5 people on it.” It’s worth pointing out that every other major sport has their own playing field. We have multiple indoor courts, several outdoor fields, and even facilities for teams that we haven’t officially rostered in years, like tennis. Why should the track team be the only one without a place to compete? We have been training for the past three years on the baseball field. Trust me, we don’t like it any more than the baseball team does. It’s also worth pointing out that the track and field program boasts the largest team on campus with 95 student athletes officially rostered for the 2024-2025 season.
The installation of this track will only benefit the school. Besides having a new space for one of our most competitive teams to train, it offers an additional option for any student who wishes to get a little extra cardio in. As a track athlete, I know I will be making countless new memories here, and I hope that we can make some for the loyal fans that attend our meets as well.
