YSU's WATTS spreads the love for track & field

During the winter, a couple hours a day, four times a week, anyone can run at Youngstown State's Watson and Tressel Training Site (WATTS) for free. 

That one decision changed everything for local high school track and field teams.

"If this track didn't exist, we probably wouldn't have an indoor track team. We would be running in the halls. We would be not ready for the state meet. We probably wouldn't even make state meets," said Brookfield coach Adam Hughes.

For two hours a day, four days a week, for ten weeks, anyone can run, jump, or throw for free. It didn't take long for high school coaches to catch on.

"Each year, you start to see this place get more crowded and more people start to jump on the fact that YSU is kind enough to let us come down and train here," said Austintown Fitch coach Seth Steiner.

"It gets really busy. You always got to keep your eyes open to make sure you don't run into somebody," said Brookfield national qualifier Dionte Colwell.

It's helped local schools churn out national qualifiers and podium finishers at states. It's also given teams that take advantage of this a chance to get a jump on the outdoor season.

"It's like we have a head start," said Fitch junior Ralph Fitzgerald. "Most people don't take indoor as serious as other teams, but we do. So it prepares us."

"It definitely helps with conditioning. You're kind of ready for what's about to happen with outdoor. It gets you ready for meets and it gets you mentally prepared," said Brookfield senior Claire Vendemia.

"Going into outdoor, we kind of know where everybody's at, what we need to improve on and what we need to do to get better as a team," said Fitch senior Jakari Lumsden.

And it helps out more than just the athletes that are training here every week. It can literally serve as a recruiting tool for YSU. Not just the track team either, but the university as a whole.

"It's still hard to fathom. It's really really cool, though," said Nicole Kent-Strollo, YSU's director of student outreach and support. "To the point where part of how we're prepping is going to get that admissions material before those meets and answering questions, which is really really awesome. How do you get here? How do you become a Penguin?"

"It's kind of a way to give back to the community and actually see it pay forward and come back to Youngstown State University," said YSU head track and field coach Brian Gorby.

And with hundreds here every weeknight and 1,500 athletes for meets, it's helped boost the YSU track and field program, as well.

"Every top recruit that we have coming in pretty much probably has been in this facility at one time or another and stuff. I think that's been a huge part of their decision, coming to Youngstown State University," said Gorby.

If you build it, they will come, with a ripple effect that we're just now beginning to realize.