With advanced video equipment, plenty of room and ample storage space, the women’s lacrosse team’s new locker room has acted as the squad’s home away from home.
“It’s a great place for the girls to hang out,” coach Karin Brower Corbett said. “They can do their homework in there between classes and things like that, rather than go home. It’s a really great place for us.”
The locker room, which can be found in Franklin Field’s old training room, serves as more than just a hang-out spot. Corbett and the rest of the coaches had a hand in designing the room, which is equipped with lockers properly designed for storing lacrosse sticks.
The space is also more conducive to team meetings, pasta dinners and film review sessions — in large part because the entire squad can gather in one place.
“Last year we had a small locker room for the size of our team, and usually the freshman needed to sometimes split lockers or be in this other room,” junior attack Erin Brennan explained.
On Saturday, the team held a gathering with players, coaches, parents and alumni to officially christen this brand new facility, “The Leisman Family Women’s Lacrosse Locker Room.”
1972 Wharton graduate William Leisman III has had a strong relationship with the women’s lacrosse program ever since his daughter Jenni Leisman, a 1999 College graduate, was on the roster. During Jenni’s time at Penn, the team’s previous locker room, which is now being used by the field hockey squad, was dedicated in her family’s honor.
“My dad has always been involved. He went to Penn as well — he didn’t play lacrosse — but he’s always been involved with the lacrosse team ever since I was there,” Jenni said.
Like her father, Jenni, who was a former captain of the women’s team, has continued to support the program by serving on the Alumni Relations and Social Events committee of the Penn Lacrosse Board, an organization comprised primarily of former players and parents that figured prominently in the facility renovation process.
“We had alums and parents that really came forward and made it possible,” Corbett said. “All of this cost a lot of money, and we had to get it from somewhere … We just had wonderful support from our alums.”
The Leisman Family’s contribution obviously stands out. Their allegiance to Penn runs deep given that Jenni’s grandfather, father, aunt, brother and sister all graduated from the university. When the new facility was being constructed, the Leisman family had the opportunity to dedicate the new locker room in their name.
“It’s so nice to see how others are giving back to Penn Athletics and specifically the lacrosse team, and it was just really nice to be honoring them for their contribution of the locker room,” Brennan said. “It’s been so helpful with us getting things done and being able to hang out there.”
