FOXBOROUGH – While you can make the argument that the Patriots simply caught up to many NFL teams and most Division 1 programs with the New Balance Athletics Center, it’s better late than never.
And the building is paying off.
With new technology, indoor field spaces, various extra meeting rooms and basically everything anyone needs as a professional football player, it’s allowing the coaching staff and players to be more productive, particularly off the field.
The various technology that’s available to everyone – especially with younger players – allows guys to better prepare mentally, or if something needs to be corrected immediately after practice, it’s affording them that opportunity as well.
“I think today’s kid learns differently. They’re a lot more active learners than up on a board or in a meeting room,” special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer said on Thursday when I asked him about it. “So, we definitely take advantage of that. It’s been very simple for that type of teaching.”
Zak Kuhr hadn’t really thought about it when I asked him, but he’s also still finding new things almost daily in there.
“I don’t know if it has much to do with it. I very much appreciate the new facility, but it’s more about the people inside the building than the actual structure and things inside the building…I’m still finding new rooms in the building myself.”
Earlier in the day, Vrabel had rave reviews when he was asked about the facility after now spending a couple months and completing a minicamp in it.
“Fantastic,” he said. “I think that I appreciate the support and the commitment that Robert [Kraft] and Jonathan [Kraft] have made, specifically as it relates to this building. Jonathan and Stretch [John Streicher] put a lot of work in to get this thing right, to plan every room and plan every area with the players in mind. That’s been fantastic, to have the meeting rooms and the access to the mobile classroom to allow an alternative style of learning. From the weight room, the access to the locker room, the expanded training room. I think it’s just been great.
“And for our construction staff, Dan [Krantz], Woody [Benisek-Beal] and Gale [Titus], for us to be able to get in here ahead of schedule, to have the draft room and everything over here. I appreciate everything that everybody’s done to get us to this point. As soon as the players are gone, like any house, there’s a punch list that they’re going to get started on, little things that you’ll notice. So, I’m excited about getting that right. But I just appreciate Jonathan and Robert’s support since I’ve been here. They made a commitment to me, my staff and given us every opportunity to improve through free agency, the draft, the moves that we made. ”
“So, I’m just excited to be in this new building.”