The Lebanon Athletic Boosters, in partnership with Lebanon Athletics and Lebanon City Schools, are proud to announce an exciting transformation of the District Performance Center gymnasium into a turf-surfaced, multi-use indoor training facility. The upgraded space will serve student-athletes and community teams while continuing to support physical education classes.

The District Performance Center at 160 Miller Road—home to Lebanon High School from 1969 through 2004—now houses district central offices, choir rooms, technology offices, a 1,100-seat auditorium, locker rooms, storage areas, a weight room, and the gymnasium, among other things. While the gym has been used as an overflow space for junior high basketball and volleyball teams, baseball and softball indoor training, and PE classes, its unique location and limited use for spectator events presented a valuable opportunity to reimagine its purpose.

As one of eight traditional gyms in the district—and the only one not attached to a school—the 10,120-square-foot gymnasium is ideally suited for conversion into a turf-based indoor training environment. The baseball/softball batting tunnel will remain on the balcony level. The renovated space will include safety padding throughout and significantly expand off-season training opportunities well beyond volleyball and basketball, benefiting a wide range of athletic programs and age groups across the Lebanon community.

Importantly, this project will be fully funded by the Lebanon Athletic Boosters, requiring no district dollars. In addition to enhancing student-athlete development, the upgraded facility is expected to create new rental opportunities, generating additional revenue for the district.

Project Timeline & Community Support

The Lebanon Athletic Boosters and Athletic Department will begin sharing information in the coming weeks regarding opportunities for community involvement, including naming rights and sponsorship opportunities, as the project moves toward a hopeful summer construction window.

The marquee fundraising event supporting the project will be the Lebanon Athletic Boosters Annual Gala, scheduled for Saturday, March 21, at Manor House in Mason.

• Booster member ticket sales begin February 6

• Tickets go on sale to the general public February 13

• Pricing: $100 per person or $900 for a table of 10
   

A Farewell & Tribute to a Historic Space

As a tribute to the gymnasium that hosted decades of Lebanon High School memories, the final boys basketball home game of the season will be played in the space on Tuesday, February 24, versus Beavercreek (Varsity only, 6:30 p.m.).

The evening will feature a throwback theme, honoring memorable moments and individuals who left their mark in the facility. With anticipation that the 1,200-seat venue will sell out, ticket information will be shared publicly in the coming weeks.

Looking Ahead

Additional renderings, site plans, and project updates will be shared as planning continues in collaboration with district leadership, the athletic department, coaches, and booster representatives. Consideration will also be given to offering select pieces of the bleachers, baskets, or other elements as keepsakes, should it fit within the project scope and timeline.

We are incredibly proud of this initiative and the opportunity to provide a cutting-edge training environment for our programs and local youth organizations. This project represents a significant investment in the future of Lebanon Athletics and supports our continued ability to compete at the Division I level in today's evolving athletic landscape.

If you are interested in getting involved, please contact athletic director Keith Pantling (pantling.keith@lebanonschools.org) or current booster president Chris Fleig at president@lebanonathleticboosters.com or call the athletic office at 513-228-4000. 

Current Photos

Coach Testimonials
 

From a soccer perspective, having access to an indoor turf training space would be a game-changer for our program. It gives our athletes the ability to train year-round without worrying about rain, snow, or extreme temperatures, allowing us to stay consistent instead of experiencing the seasonal peaks and troughs that can increase injury risk. The controlled environment also provides a stable, safe playing surface and climate, greatly reducing the injury concerns we face when trying to train on a wood gym floor. Just as importantly, indoor turf creates a more focused setting with fewer distractions, which leads to more efficient, high-quality training sessions. Overall, indoor turf space helps us maintain a higher level of play and competitive readiness throughout the entire year.

Erin Edmonds
LHS Head Girls Soccer Coach

 Turfing the DPC gym into a turf space would be an absolute game changer for the athletic department and football program. It would take our football program to the next level by:  

1. Providing immediate training access when available for agility, speed training, and throwing/catching in the winter while the team is lifting right across the hall from the DPC weight room (where we train most of the year). 

2. During severe heat days or lightning storms we would still be able to practice in this facility without having to rent space at Wall To Wall, another indoor venue, or  just do a walk through on a gym floor.

3. This turf facility would allow us to push power sleds and pull speed sleds all year round for speed and power development and split our large numbers on our team from the DPC weight room and DPC turf gym so we can all train at the same time! 

4. Our players can throw, run routes, and catch balls from our Juggs machine all year around in this facility! 

5. Very important: It shows that Lebanon is progressing and investing in spaces for our athletes to train all year around and be successful. This is huge for attracting high level coaches and athletes to our district!

Several benefits come to mind when exploring the idea of transitioning the DPC gymnasium into a turfed training option for Lebanon Student-Athletes. Starting with safety, turf provides a buffer when it comes to high impact training and cushions the impact of athletes joints. For fast pace sports like lacrosse, providing our athletes with an offseason training option that is turfed year round helps the wear and tear on their bodies, versus the gym floors we are currently using during cold, snowy, rainy days/months. 

Next is providing a competitive advantage, or in some cases, just keeping up with surrounding communities and school districts. Lebanon is not currently blessed with turfed training facilities like Mason, Milford, and Springboro, among others. Some of these districts have school provided facilities, or at a minimum,non school funded training facilities in the community that student-athletes have easy access to. The Lebanon community does not currently offer a facility such as these.  

Facility availability continues to be one of the big struggles as a coach, and for our program. Having an additional turfed option, indoor specifically, makes a huge difference in providing our student-athletes with one more option to train and develop. 

Lastly, and maybe least important, is the aesthetics of it. The energy of our student-athletes naturally increases with the feeling of being outside, and one of the reasons for that is the green of the grass or turf. This is a research proven fact. Adding green space indoors, will only provide a more positive, energizing environment for our student-athletes.  

Landon Martin
LHS Head Girls Lacrosse Coach 

Lebanon is an outstanding community with state level athletic programs and athletes that can compete on the biggest stages in the state of Ohio.  Having an indoor training facility to accommodate the ongoing needs of year-round training when weather in Ohio turns bad will be a huge benefit to all athletes in Lebanon. The ability for us and baseball to expand our training from the indoor tunnel and gym floor drills to now using a turf surface for base running, fielding, agility and more will be a tremendous asset. It will be greatly to have our local youth frequenting the space as well.