The state-of-the-art lounge greatly enhances men’s and women’s soccer — as well as other athletic programs. The building now provides 2,500 square feet of fully renovated space and features a players’ lounge for the soccer teams and a film and team meeting room for use across various athletic programs.

“In the world of athletics, this room is best described as a ‘game changer.’ We are always looking for a competitive edge when it comes to recruiting, and I believe this room will be unmatched to any other Division I soccer program when it comes to a player lounge,” said men’s soccer head coach Dennis Currier.

A lead gift from former UD soccer player Joaquin Hidalgo ’83 paved the way for the transformative space, which will greatly enhance the experiences and development of those future players — as well as current ones.

“We were so excited for the opening of the lounge, which serves as a true home base for our women’s and men’s programs,” said women’s team captain Beth Kamphaus ’19. “We use the space in a number of different ways, like team meetings and film sessions or eating and relaxing in our free time.”

Men’s midfielder Daniel Dos Santos ’20 emphasizes the importance of having such a space for the team to gather. “Before the lounge, we would never really hang out as a team because there wasn’t a place where we could really stay. Now, we have a place where we can eat before practices, watch games together and play games together. That will help the long-term chemistry of the team so much.”

Hidalgo, and so many others in our Flyer family, know what it means to put team first. It’s the reason our athletic programs grow, year after year.