The UPMC Rooney Sports Complex is a multipurpose, multisport
training
Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I ...
,
sports science
Sports science is a discipline that studies how the healthy human body works during exercise, and how sport and physical activity promote health and performance from cellular to whole body perspectives. The study of sports science traditionally inc ...
, and
sports medical complex of the
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is a $23billion integrated global nonprofit health enterprise that has 92,000 employees, 40 hospitals with more than 8,000 licensed beds, 800 clinical locations including outpatient sites and d ...
. The complex is located along the shore of the
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River ( , )—often referred to locally as the Mon ()—is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-cen ...
in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
and is unique in that it is the only facility in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
housing the practice and training facilities for both a collegiate
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
(NCAA)
football team and a professional
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) team, the
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...
Panthers
Panther may refer to:
Large cats
*Pantherinae, the cat subfamily that contains the genera ''Panthera'' and ''Neofelis''
**''Panthera'', the cat genus that contains tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards.
***Jaguar (''Panthera onca''), found in Sout ...
and
Pittsburgh Steelers respectively. It is also unique in that it combines these training facilities in one location with an academically based sports science and medicine program. The complex consists of four centers which include the Center for Sports Medicine, Sports Training Center, Indoor Training Center, and the Fitness and Conditioning Center located in three buildings along with four outdoor practice fields all situated on of land. The UPMC Center for Sports Medicine located in the complex is an international destination for amateur and professional athletes alike for its training, medical, and rehabilitation studies and services.
Construction
The UPMC Sport Performance Complex was designed by the architectural firm
L. D. Astorino Associates, Ltd. Development was managed by
Oxford Development Company
Oxford Development Company is a real estate firm based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, providing real estate development, property management, brokerage services, investment advisory services, and business operations. In 2021, it was listed as the l ...
and construction of the complex by Mascaro Construction was initiated in June 1999 and completed on September 5, 2000
although the Panthers and Steelers moved into their respective portions of the facility in August. The complex was completed at a cost reported from $30
[Tom Barnes, UPMC's sports medicine facility leads renewal at South Side steel site, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2000-06-04, accessdate=2008-11-09](_blank)
/ref> to $80 million[Deborah Weisberg, Dr. Freddie Fu: The determined force behind UPMC's sports performance complex -- and more, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2002-01-01, accessdate=2008-11-7](_blank)
/ref> and, as part of Pittsburgh's urban river-front revitalization effort, is located on the former site of the Jones & Laughlin, and later LTV, steel mill in the SouthSide Works
SouthSide Works is an open-air retail, office, entertainment, and residential complex (often referred to as a lifestyle center) located on the South Side of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. and just across the Monongahela River from th ...
. The MRI room had to be encased in five layers of steel plate, plus a sixth layer of copper, in order to shield the MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves ...
machines from the nearby CSX
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
railroad tracks. Fill was also brought in to raise the level of the land where the practice fields are by nine feet in order to keep them out of the flood plain.
The Center for Sports Medicine
The UPMC Center for Sports Medicine, part of UPMC system flagship UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside, is one of the leading sports medicine centers in the United States and is home for the University of Pittsburgh's and UPMC's Sports Medicine program whose medical faculty is ranked 9th among the top orthopaedic
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...
programs in the nation by '' U.S. News & World Report''. The center is overseen by renowned orthopedic surgeon Freddie Fu
Freddie H. Fu ( zh, t=傅浩強, j=Fu6 Hou6-koeng4; (1950 – September 24, 2021) was a Hong Kongese-American doctor and academic. He was the David Silver Professor and chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pit ...
, which has led to it often being referred to as "Freddie's building". In the Center for Sports Medicine building, both the Panthers and Steelers have on-site access to advanced comprehensive sports medicine care provided a team of sports medicine physicians, orthopaedic surgeons, athletic trainers and physical therapist
Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patien ...
s all who specialize in all types of specific sport-related injuries. The full-time sports medicine team also includes sub-specialists in, sport psychology, sports nutrition
Sports nutrition is the study and practice of nutrition and diet with regards to improving anyone's athletic performance. Nutrition is an important part of many sports training regimens, being popular in strength sports (such as weightlifting and ...
, sports massage therapy, sports concussion and sports performance enhancement. The center also conducts major injury prevention studies involving, for example, female knee ligament, shoulders, golf and cycling. It also serves as a research center for such areas as robotic surgery, stem cell tissue regeneration, concussion prevention and human motion.
The center's Sports Concussion Program is directed by some of the country's leading researchers in sports concussion management, including Mark Lovell, Ph.D., director of the NFL and NHL's neuro-cognitive testing program. The program's goals involve developing methods of evaluating the short- and long-term effects of concussion so that a better determination can be made as to when it is safe for an athlete to return to active sports following a concussion.
The center has private examination rooms, and on-site digital x-ray
An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...
units, and an open magnetic resonance imaging unit designed specifically for the types of musculoskeletal conditions and injuries commonly seen at the center. The diagnostic imaging equipment is highlighted by UPMC-developed filmless digital radiology workstations that provide high-precision x-ray and MRI displays in each of the 34 exam rooms that is instantly accessible on-site via computerized web-based images that can be stored as well as clearly transmitted for consultation anywhere in the world.[Center for Sports Medicine, UPMC Sports Medicine, UPMC, accessdate=2008-11-09](_blank)
/ref>
The center's physical therapy and rehabilitation area is fully equipped for physical therapists and athletic trainers to direct specific types of injury rehabilitation. The physical therapy and rehab area also has a therapeutic pool and a functional gym providing athletes with functional assessment of their rehabilitation progress with their therapist on site. The training and rehabilitation gym is equipped with extensive circuit machines, free weights, and isokinetic and aerobic equipment, a plyometric training floor to help recovering athletes regain power and restore quick movement capabilities, and specialized equipment and training area to simulate an athlete's performance requirements.
In addition to sports injury management, the center also provides a comprehensive Sports Performance Program that is individualized to each athlete, concentrating on achieving optimal athletic performance while preventing injury. The program usually begins with advanced neuro-musculoskeletal assessment in the center's Neuromuscular Research Laboratory. Specific components of the program may include strengthening and conditioning, improving speed, agility and joint stability, identifying and managing any potential areas of weakness, injury prevention, sports massage therapy and nutrition counseling as well as sport-specific skills training. The Sports Performance Program serves a daily clientele with individualized goals for personal fitness and athletic performance ranging from world-famous elite and professional athletes to nationally known college athletes to local high school and recreational athletes. The center also provides all of its services to many non-athletes with other types of musculoskeletal injuries related to physical activity.
Hundreds of elite athletes and famous individuals have been served at the UPMC Sport Performance Complex including, to name a few, golfer Greg Norman
Gregory John Norman AO (born 10 February 1955) is an Australian entrepreneur and retired professional golfer who spent 331 weeks as world number one in the 1980s and 1990s. He won 89 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA Tour tournament ...
, Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
winners Miguel Indurain and Greg LeMond
Gregory James LeMond (born June 26, 1961) is an American former professional road racing cyclist, entrepreneur, and anti-doping advocate. A two-time winner of the Road Race World Championship (1983 and 1989) and a three-time winner of the Tou ...
, wrestler Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former collegiate wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Total Nonstop Action ...
, hockey star Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux (; ; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played parts of 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins between 1984 and 2006, and he assumed ownership of the f ...
, hurdler Roger Kingdom, football stars Dan Marino and Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram Bettis Sr. (born February 16, 1972) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nicknamed "the Bus" for his large size and runn ...
, ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov, actress Kathleen Turner, along with other athletes from the Panthers, Steelers, Duquesne Dukes
The Duquesne Dukes are the athletic teams of Duquesne University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Dukes compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Football and bowling, however ...
, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
.
Indoor practice facility
The indoor practice facility contains a full-size Act Global
Act Global is an artificial turf manufacturer based in Austin, Texas. Its primary production facilities are located in Calhoun, Georgia
Calhoun is a city in Gordon County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a popula ...
artificial grass football field, surrounding track, a racquetball court, and a separate strengthening/conditioning area. The indoor practice facility, which reaches high at its center ridge, is almost entirely taken up by a full-size indoor football field with a goal post at each end and surrounded by a four-lane running track. Located in a separate area of the indoor practice building is a area fully equipped for the strengthening and conditioning components of the Sports Performance Program.
Panthers/Steelers building
The Panthers/Steelers indoor training, coaching and management building is split evenly in half, with both organizations having two floors. On the building's first floor are the teams’ weight training and athletic training rooms; locker rooms; and a cafeteria-style kitchen and dining room. On the second floor are team meeting and film viewing rooms, coaching and administrative offices; and working media rooms.
In their half of the building, the Panthers have installed a Panther Hall of Fame and a state-of-the-art training facility, which includes the Duratz Athletic Complex, which features expansive training rooms, team meeting and film-viewing rooms, weight rooms and dining facilities. It additionally houses coaching and administrative staff offices as well as the Panthers' academic support personnel. Each Panthers coach has their own meeting room for their positional players complete with state-of-the-art video capabilities. The quarterback meeting area was named the " Dan Marino Room" in honor of the former Panthers quarterback and Hall of Famer and was dedicated in November 2000 when Marino returned to his alma mater for a special ceremony honoring his retirement from the NFL. Pitt's locker room features 128 lockers which are personalized for each Panthers player. Pitt's facilities also include the Hearst Academic Center for Student-Athletes that features a computer lab and student reference library as well as a full-time academic counselor and graduate assistant that are on hand to help the Panthers players in the classroom. The Panthers' weight room is furnished with the latest in training equipment and is utilized year-round for both offseason and in-season lifting regimens. Termed the "Pitt Iron Works", Pitt's weight room was named by ''Muscle & Fitness
''Muscle & Fitness'' is an American fitness and bodybuilding magazine founded in 1935 by Canadian entrepreneur Joe Weider. It was originally published under the title ''Your Physique'', before being renamed to ''Muscle Builder'' in 1954, and acq ...
'' magazine as one of the "top 10 toughest gyms in the United States" and has been lauded for providing one of the nation's most advanced training programs.
The Steelers, along with their training facilities, have installed a library in tribute to the Steelers founder, the late Art Rooney
Arthur Joseph Rooney Sr. (January 27, 1901 – August 25, 1988), often referred to as "The Chief", was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, an American football franchise in the National Football League (NFL), from 1933 until his death ...
.
Outdoors, there are four side-by-side 80-yard-long football practice fields which are ideally situated for private practices and have viewing towers and lighting for evening sessions. Three of the fields are natural turf and one was outfitted with Sportexe synthetic turf in June 2007.Kevin Gorman, Pitt upgrades practice field, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 2007-05-26, accessdate=2008-11-09
/ref>
In addition to being a major corporate sponsor of the teams, UPMC is the teams’ preferred health care and sports medicine provider. Injury evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation as well as UPMC's Sports Performance Program all are available to the athletes on-site year round.
References
External links
UPMC Rooney Sports Complex
{{authority control
Sports medicine organizations
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Steelers
Sports venues in Pittsburgh
Redeveloped ports and waterfronts in the United States
2000 establishments in Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center