The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have unveiled branding for their training facility and business offices, which will now be known as the AdventHealth Training Center. Officially, the announcement was made by the Buccaneers and Florida Hospital, which will soon be known as AdventHealth. The team’s headquarters includes a new air-conditioned indoor practice facility, three outdoor practice fields, as well as player areas and administrative offices.
Florida Hospital and the Buccaneers created their unique partnership six years ago when Florida Hospital became the Exclusive Hospital of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The collaboration has enabled the two organizations to promote key health initiatives in the community and this elevated partnership will give Florida Hospital and the Buccaneers even greater ability to identify and tackle important health issues in the Greater Tampa Bay Area.
“We want to make a meaningful difference and lasting impact in the health and wellness of this community and this partnership bolsters the strength and ability we have to do that,” said Mike Schultz, President and CEO, Florida Hospital, the West Florida Division of Adventist Health System. “We are not only investing in the health and wellbeing of our professional athletes, we are investing in and inspiring the next generation. We believe it’s vital for our young people to have a healthy future.”
With the 10-year naming rights deal announced on Monday, Florida Hospital and the Buccaneers also plan to develop a series of educational health and wellness videos pairing Florida Hospital and team experts to address topics such as nutrition and diet, staying hydrated, proper stretching and how to prevent sports injuries. That initiative plays into other existing health and wellness platforms including the Treasure Chests 5K and Fun Run to raise breast cancer awareness, 8 On Your Side Health and Fitness Expo, Bucs Babies, the Back to School Bash which provides free physicals, dental and eye exams, and immunizations to local students, as well as the first ever Faith and Football tournament.
“Today’s announcement is yet another example of the strong partnership we have forged with Florida Hospital over the past six years,” said Buccaneers Owner/Co-Chairman Bryan Glazer. “Together, we have enjoyed success on many community initiatives and this heightened level of partnership allows for even greater opportunities as Florida Hospital transitions into AdventHealth. We take pride in having world-class training facilities and business headquarters and we are equally thrilled to align ourselves with an industry leader such as AdventHealth.”
The AdventHealth Training Center opened in 2006 and immediately set a new standard for team training and business headquarters. The more than 135,000-square-foot main complex is a combination of function, style and space while also offering Buccaneer players the latest in sports medicine and training facilities. Player areas include a spacious 6,600-square-foot locker room, nearly 10,000 square-feet of workout and weight training space, an expansive training room and rehab center featuring three cryo chambers to improve player recovery, and a large, wood paneled team auditorium along with a full complement of position meeting rooms.
Prior to the start of the 2017 season, the team finished construction on a state-of-the-art indoor practice facility. The 100,000-square-foot, air-conditioned structure features a full-sized FieldTurf playing surface, has an indoor clearance of 96 feet and seating for up to 3,500 fans. The AdventHealth Training Center’s indoor facility allows the team to practice year-round regardless of weather conditions and is used frequently for walkthroughs, practices and select training camp practices.
“Here in Florida, weather is always going to be a factor in your ability to prepare your team,“ said Buccaneers Head Coach Dirk Koetter. “Early in the season we are always dealing with very hot, humid weather, lightning delays and even hurricanes, so having an indoor practice facility that ensures you don’t miss practice time is essential to winning. The AdventHealth Training Center indoor practice facility is a real game changer for us in that we now can ensure our players are as well prepared as possible heading into every game.”
Florida Hospital is a faith-based, not-for-profit organization, operating 28 hospitals across the state, delivering whole-person care to millions of patients each year. Adventist Health System, parent company of Florida Hospital and one of the nation’s largest faith-based health care systems, recently announced it will soon become AdventHealth with all of its nearly 50 hospital campuses, including Florida Hospital, adopting the new name and logo beginning January 2, 2019.