Gearing up for a late 2023 debut, MiraCosta is on schedule to unveil Oceanside campus’ new gymnasium. The gymnasium will be open to students, athletes and all faculty members, And will be replacing the old gymnasium, standing since 1960.

Athletic director Patrick Conahan shed some light on why MiraCosta felt a gymnasium was a necessary addition to the Oceanside campus.

“In general, it was needed because we’ve made do with a really old gym for decades. We’ve had broken bleachers and old floors that can’t be resanded,” Conahan said.

“At MiraCosta, we don’t have a need to seat 10,000 people, but the [gymnasium features] can at least be nice! The deal isn’t even about getting through the next five years, we’re talking about getting through the next fifty. We’re talking about students that are going to come to MiraCosta that aren’t even born yet, it’s about serving the community in that type of way.”

Conahan specifies on the benefits a new gymnasium can have on a school’s community.

“It supports our intercollegiate sports, intramural sports, and it also supports kinesiology classes like taekwondo and other fitness classes,” he said.

This can be an exciting opportunity for students like Quinn Lagerson, who aren’t related to any specific athletic programs, to socialize and exercise.

“I’m actually really excited for the new gymnasium. Not being able to participate in any in-person classes has been pretty rough, so the opportunity to be able to actually go and exercise with my classmates can be a fun, destressing activity to get to know [my peers] a little better,” Lagerson said.

Lagerson’s hope that an increase in kinesiology can be associated with a decrease in anxiety and stress has lots of evidence behind it. The Mayo Clinic staff break down the correlation between exercise and the subsequent reduction of stress:

“Physical activity may help bump up the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. Although this function is often referred to as a runner’s high, any aerobic activity, such as a rousing game of tennis or a nature hike, can contribute to this same feeling,” the Mayo Clinic staff said.

“Exercise can provide stress relief for your body while imitating effects of stress, such as the flight or fight response, and helping your body and its systems practice working together through those effects,” the Mayo Clinic staff said.

COVID-19 has caused stress and anxiety in many, the MCC community included. However, both the announcement of construction for the new gymnasium as well as the completion of a new sports field have come within the timespan of the last year. With the gymnasium being completed in early 2023, Conahan feels optimistic about the impact the gymnasium can have on future generations.

“We’re really excited to see athletes and students make full use of this facility. Building memories and hopefully winning trophies is what it’s all about” Conahan said.

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