Hagerty Family Events Center facts for kids
The Hagerty Family Events Center is a cool sports place in Erie, Pennsylvania. It has areas for many different sports, both inside and outside. This center is a big part of the community. It helps young athletes train and compete.
What is the Hagerty Family Events Center?
The Hagerty Family Events Center is a large sports complex. It has a football field, a gymnasium, and a swimming pool area. Many students and local teams use these facilities. It's a great spot for sports events and competitions.
Dollinger Field: Home of Football
The outdoor football field is called Dollinger Field. It can seat 1,800 fans. This is where the Cathedral Prep Ramblers play their home football games. It's a lively place on game days.
Joann Mullen Gymnasium: Indoor Sports Fun
Inside the center, you'll find the Joann Mullen Gymnasium. This gym also has space for 1,800 people. It's used for basketball, volleyball, and other indoor sports. It's a busy place for school teams.
David M. Hallman III Aquatics Center: Dive In!
The David M. Hallman III Aquatics Center is a fantastic swimming area. It has a main competition pool with eight lanes. There's also a smaller, shallow pool for warming up. This center can seat 400 spectators.
How the Events Center Started
Before 2010, the Cathedral Prep school played its football and soccer games at a different stadium. The idea for a new sports center began to grow. They wanted a modern place for their athletes.
From Old Factory to New Sports Hub
The land where the Events Center now stands was once an old factory. This factory closed in 2001. In September 2007, Cathedral Prep bought 11 acres of this land. They planned to build a brand new sports facility there.
Opening Day and Special Names
The Hagerty Family Events Center officially opened in 2010. The very first football game was on September 10, 2010. The Cathedral Prep Ramblers won their game against the Central Tech Falcons.
Before this big game, the football field was named Dollinger Field. It was named after Msgr. John Dollinger. He was a leader at Cathedral Prep from 1972 to 1984.
Honoring Important People
The gymnasium and swimming center are also named after special people. The gym is the Joann Mullen Gymnasium. Joann Mullen was a beloved math teacher and the first female principal at Prep. She passed away in 2012.
The swimming facility is the David M. Hallman III Aquatics Center. David Hallman was a talented swimmer at Prep. He graduated in 2010 and passed away in 2014.
Renaming the Center
In 2018, the entire facility got a new name. It became the Hagerty Family Events Center. This was to honor Chris Hagerty and his family. Chris Hagerty works for the school in a leadership role.