Ping Recreation Center, located near Peden Football Stadium and South Green, offers facilities to support nearly every recreation need.
Past the front desk is a 36-foot-tall climbing wall and a weight room. Down the hallways are five courts, ready for basketball or volleyball, four racquetball courts, two multipurpose gymnasiums and a squash court. The stairs next to the desk lead to the second-floor cardio equipment, along with the Well-Being Wing and rooms for group fitness classes. One more set of stairs leads to the four-lane indoor running track.
Larry West, a sophomore studying psychology, said he goes to Ping twice a week on average. West said he tried the climbing wall and ran on the track a couple of times. His favorite activity in Ping is playing soccer in Area A.
“I stay far away from the workout machines,” West said. “I usually just go play sports with my friends, so soccer, volleyball, basketball. Sometimes, if I’m feeling crazy, I’ll hit up the massage chairs. I even watched the dodgeball tournament there once.”
Bobcats interested in using a court can bring their own sports equipment, except outdoors sports such as tennis, football and baseball. Those interested in playing tennis can use the Tennis Center next door.
Ping has a variety of equipment available in RecRe boxes. Hanna Vorisek, the assistant director at Ping, said it transitioned to all equipment checkouts happening through the boxes and not at the front desk.
“The RecRe is a super easy process,” Vorisek said. “You just come in, scan the QR code, ask what you’re looking for. There’s basketballs, volleyballs and racquetball sets right now and also barbell pads.”
If the courts available are not set up for what is needed, the front desk staff can take down or put up volleyball nets at one’s request.
“What we try to do is have a mix of both drop-in basketball and volleyball available,” Vorisek said. “It may not be in your favorite court, but there will probably be a volleyball or a basketball area set up for just drop-in play.”
Ping also offers group fitness classes. Boxing, cardio dance or sculpt, yoga, pilates and cycling are free with membership. F45 Training and Womxn & Weights are also additional expense opportunities.
The Well-Being Wing is on the second floor and focuses on mental health and physical recovery rather than active physical fitness.
The wing offers massage chairs, CryoLounge+, a wellness pod and comfortable furniture. There are also options for art and music creation, as well as lightbox and biofeedback therapy.
“Pretty much every space in Ping is designated for physical fitness and physical wellness, where the Well-Being Wing is definitely a place where there’s not any physical activity going on,” Gabe Edwards, the coordinator at Ping, said. “Most days it’s in the quieter part of the building. It is a space where folks can focus on the other pillars of wellness and not necessarily come to the gym to work out or get physical.”
West said he uses the massage chairs when he is sore after a run; he even studied in one during finals week.
“I think it’s great to have everything open,” West said. “There’s enough to where people that don’t work out, like me, can still go to Ping all the time and find a bunch of fun things to do. It’s a great way to meet people, or just to build existing community. I think it’s really cool that they offer such a great place to hang out at and to participate in activities.”
Students enrolled at the Ohio University main campus have free entrance with their student IDs to run, lift, play ball, chill and climb. Non-students can purchase day passes for $8, and 30-day passes for $30. Annual passes are also available, ranging from $85 to $340. Summer memberships are available for $45, lasting through August 14.
During the school year, Ping is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday. Holiday hours are subject to change. Until August 19, summer opening times are the same, but the center will close at 9 p.m. every night. The climbing wall opens and closes separately.
“We hope that we have something here that fits that need and that you feel safe and welcomed in our space,” Edwards said. “That between our hours, you can come to Ping and accomplish whatever you’re looking to accomplish.”