In December of 1998, a new era dawned for Lady Vol athletic training, as the state-of-the-art University of Tennessee women's athletics training room opened its doors. The 5,600 square-foot sports care center for female athletes in Big Orange Country stacks up as one of the nation's best facilities devoted solely to women.

The Lady Vol training room features a spacious modality area with room for nine treatment tables. The facility, which was designed to provide a functional rehab setting, combines those work areas with the latest technology available for treating athletes. It also contains a practice prep (taping) area, mat tables for stretching, three high/low tables for manual therapy and a private bathroom for drug testing.

Another impressive feature is the wet room, which contains two whirlpool spas. The larger one, which is 14 x 8 and five feet deep, allows athletes to have aqua-therapy at the training room rather than going to the aquatic center. The smaller spa measures 10 x 7 and is three feet deep, providing a great deal of space for Lady Vols to loosen up sore muscles.

At the entrance to the training room, a greeting station is to the immediate left, providing a reception area to monitor traffic into and out of the facility by athletes, coaches and other visitors. To provide work areas for full-timers and graduate assistants, there are five offices within the training room. Each one contains a computer, allowing campus network, e-mail and internet access.

Other amenities in the new facility include a kitchen with a microwave and refrigerator, a washer and dryer room, two ice machines, and excess storage space. Additionally, a pair of 27-inch television sets with VCRs provide pleasurable or educational viewing for athletes and staff. Such enlightening programming includes videos of surgeries and other procedures for athletes who request to see the treatment of their injuries or student trainers who are learning the trade.

Inside the room, a wide array of equipment is available for training and rehabilitation workouts. Those pieces of machinery include two stationary bikes, a tread mill, a Nordic Track, a slide board, a versa climber, cardiovascular equipment and a UBE machine (upper body extremity). These only add to the complete facility that is the Lady Vol training room.

The construction of this gem provides UT with an exceptional facility to match the top-notch personnel on hand to care for Lady Volunteer athletes. Head athletic trainer Jenny Moshak, full-time assistants Chris Hofmann and Catherine Johnson and their legion of graduate assistants and student staff members are responsible for using this remarkable tool. Meanwhile, Jeff Dahoda and his strength and conditioning staff operate under Moshak's direction and utilize the weight room to prepare teams for optimum performance in competition.