Harding Dedicates New Strength Training Facility

During the summer of 2012, Harding invested over  $1 million in capital improvements including this new entrance, technology infrastructure upgrades, and our newly renovated strength training facility. By making substantial investments in this campus, Harding is commitment to being a beacon of hope in Memphis and providing a coeducational college preparatory education firmly rooted in and filtered through a Christian worldview.  “We want to be proactive and positively impact, not only the students whom we serve, but our city, our state, our country and our world in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” said Mr. Williamson.

Harding Academy partnered with Legend Fitness to design a strength training facility that would propel Harding’s mission while providing impressive, customized equipment for Harding’s athletes.  The 14 custom-built pro-series modular systems were designed to work out 4 athletes at a time, meaning that when combined into the massive one-of-a-kind structure, dubbed the Lion Cage, over 50 athletes can work out simultaneously. The Lion Cage makes up the majority of the first floor equipped with 300-pound stacks, band attachments, and land mines. The second floor consists of racks of dumbbell and kettle bells, customizable plyometric boxes, and an assortment of lower body machines.

The Harding logo is also embedded into the custom Nike “Grind” flooring throughout the entire facility. The Legend Fitness staff will be using photographs of the facility to showcase the equipment and customization that their company can offer, stating that, “This [facility] is very, very impressive, and would certainly be the premier high school strength facility not only in Tennessee but the southeast region.”

The finishing touches for the facility were completed by Nashville design firm, Advent, whose other clients include Vanderbilt University, University of Tennessee, Auburn University, and a host of other NCAA schools.

When designing the strength training facility, the Harding coaches aimed to provide a facility that would develop and advance the skills of the junior high and beginner athletes while also providing elite athletic training equipment for their most skilled athletes. Head Harding Football Coach, Ryan Derrick, believes that the strength training facility should be a place “where athletes can train their bodies but also develop the personality of Harding’s athletic program while instilling integrity, commitment, family, courage, sacrifice, loyalty, faithfulness, and honor.”

Harding Academy finished the 2011-2012 school year as the only Division II-A school in Tennessee to have varsity boys teams finish in the top 4 in football, boys basketball, and baseball. The addition of their new strength training facility will surely help their phrase of “Building a Strong Future” become a physical reality for the school and its students.

See photos from this event