ST. LOUIS — St. Louis City SC showed off its newly named training facility, the Washington University Orthopedics High-Performance Center. It comes as the team announced Washington University Orthopedics and Barnes Jewish Hospital as medical partners for the club.
"It's our job to give the players the opportunity to be the best,” said Lutz Pfannenstiel, the team's sporting director. “Have the best training facility."
The new, state-of-the-art performance center gives St. Louis' newest professional team all the tools it needs to prevail on the pitch.
"It’s unbelievable,” Pfannenstiel said. “If you turn, the stadium is there, the city center is there. I don't know any club internationally who has that opportunity.”
The director said St. Louis City SC is one of the only clubs in the world to have the practice facility and stadium at the same location.
"When the real stadium looks better than the model, we did pretty good," Pfannenstiel said.
The facility features a movie-theater-style film room, cryotherapy, hydrotherapy, two grass pitches and a turf pitch.
Pfannenstiel said the new partnership with BJC and Washington University Orthopedics will keep players in the match.
"During my time, they would give you ice cubes, some cooling spray and tell you get on with it," Pfannenstiel said of his own professional career, which spanned 20 years.
Off the pitch, the club hopes the new digs unite the city.
"We are St. Louis City Soccer Club.” said Dennis Moore, the team's chief revenue officer. “We play in the city. Train in the city. We are a part of the city. It's a part of who we are."
“To have the community behind the club, everything here, people driving down the motorway or the road watching us training,” Pfannenstiel said. “It’s all right here. It's unique and an honor we can be here like that."