McCallie Unveils State-of-the-Art Squash, Life Fitness And Outdoor Center

As McCallie rising senior Luke Picheny readied to play an exhibition squash match as part of the dedication of the school’s sparkling new Squash, Outdoor, and Fitness Center, he was asked what he thought of the facility.

“It’s pretty jaw-dropping when you walk in here,” he said. “We have been watching it go up, but it’s always seemed so far away from completion. Now that it’s open, it is incredible.”

For the 150+ people who attended the event, adjectives such as “incredible,” “amazing,” and “unbelievable” were used time and again to describe the squash courts, the lifetime fitness workout room for students and faculty, and the outdoor facility for McCallie’s climbing and mountain bike teams.

The Outdoor Program area, built just beyond the squash courts, is so impressive that avid climber John Gass ‘07 remarked, “I probably would have gone to the Olympics if they’d had this when I was here.”

Interestingly, squash will become an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. It would surprise no one if at least a few of the U.S. team’s players by then will have passed through the McCallie Squash Center.

Designed by architect Jay Caughman and built by Dillard Construction following a sizable donation from local restaurateur Mike Monen ‘92, the center’s eight courts, multiple viewing areas, and live-streaming capabilities make it a perfect venue for national tournaments.

“We are actually bringing what is known as a ‘Gold Medal’ tournament to McCallie’s center in January,” said McCallie squash coach Dan Sharplin. “The tournament will include boys and girls. A lot of schools have facilities with four or six courts. But eight? This is probably the best squash facility in the South, and one of the best in the country.”

McCallie board member Dr. Seong-Joo Jeong '90, who toured several East Coast prep school squash facilities as McCallie was planning its own venue, noted, “I would put this center up against any of the ones that I visited a few years ago. I don’t know of any high school squash building that is better than this.”

Mike Monen’s role in all this cannot be overstated. A tennis teammate of McCallie tennis coach Jeff Clark during their senior year in 1992, he first experienced squash when his brother was in medical school in New York City years later. When Monen’s business opened a Taco Mamacita in Charleston, SC, he joined a squash club there and became addicted to the sport. Monen eventually opened Scenic City Squash on Chattanooga’s Southside, which is where the McCallie team has practiced until now. “Mike is very passionate about the game,” said McCallie’s Coach Sharplin, a New Zealand native. “Without Mike, I would not be sitting here right now.”

Without McCallie Head of School Lee Burns’ vision for the squash center, the fitness center, and the outdoor center, none of this would have taken place on Thursday. As one unnamed board member said at the dedication, “Lee not only has the vision to imagine a facility like this, he has the passion, drive, and expertise to make it a reality.”

Head of School Burns reached out to Monen for the squash component. He contacted John Fogarty Jr. ‘73 — last year’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipient — and his son John Fogarty ‘06 about donating to the fitness center. Dr. Brett Sanders and Mindy Sanders graciously agreed to give generously to the outdoor center, at least partly because they have three sons — Colin ‘25, Ryan ‘26, and Evan ‘29 — currently enrolled at McCallie.

When asked why he and his son gave to the fitness center, Fogarty ‘73 said, “McCallie changed my son’s life. He wasn’t a great athlete, but at McCallie he went out for cross country and by his senior year, he was in the top six. He worked so hard. This fitness center will help the faculty and all the boys, not just the great athletes. We were thrilled to be a part of this.”

Added Fogarty ‘06, “When I first heard about the fitness center being a part of the new complex, I envisioned something like a hotel gym. It is anything but that. It’s fantastic.”

Said Burns of the fitness facility, which is on the second-story balcony that looks over all eight squash courts, “This gives us a chance to provide a fitness center for the whole campus. We can have CrossFit, yoga, and other things. This gives us the opportunity to help our boys develop fitness habits for life.”

As for the Sanders family’s reasons for helping build the outdoor center, Mindy, who runs marathons, said, “Our family is big into outdoor fitness. The boys all mountain bike. We felt this was a great thing to be a part of, and a great addition to McCallie’s facilities.”

The new outdoor center features three climbing walls that Climbing Coach Jake Altemus, who helped design the space, said, “The structures can be tilted to different degrees — 10 degrees, 20 degrees, 70 degrees. This feature allows for the least amount of labor for the most amount of variety.”

Executive Athletic Director Kenny Sholl addressed the large crowd gathered for the dedication, saving special praise for Steve Hall of CourtTech, which built the courts, and project manager Kerry Neighbors.

“These new facilities are true reflections of our culture and purpose,” said Sholl. “They will impact students from all walks of life. I am still blown away by how well everything came together in such a beautiful and functional package. Excellence with humility. That’s the McCallie way.”

Indeed, when Monen saw a steel beam that hangs above the entry to the main viewing area for the squash courts painted white and lettered in big, blue letters THE MONEN GALLERY, he said, “I usually like to be humble, but I am thrilled to accept this recognition, and happy for this new complex being a reality for all.”

As the dedication was wrapping up, Board Chair Gary Welch spoke. “There is so much going on here right now,” he said. “The strategic plan, a campus master plan. And, as our enrollment grows, it is important to keep boys involved physically as well as mentally. The idea to start a squash program brings to mind what we have seen with lacrosse, what we have seen with crew. The Squash, Outdoor, and Fitness Center is another way to develop the whole boy — body, mind, and spirit — just as McCallie has been doing since 1905.”