Ribbon cut for the Alvin and Yvette Harris Sports Performance Center

If one phrase could amply describe Augusta University’s new Alvin and Yvette Harris Sports Performance Center inside Christenberry Fieldhouse, it’s “game-changer.” That was a common theme shared by the speakers during the ribbon-cutting event held on Wednesday, Oct. 22, to officially open the center and honor the donors who made it possible.

“This facility is a game-changer. It will surely transform the way our student-athletes train, the way they compete and the way they grow,” said Augusta University President Russell T. Keen. “It equips our student-athletes to be their best on the field, on the court, in the classroom and in life. The amenities are outstanding, and the impact will be felt for generations.”

Jacob Topple, AU’s new head strength and conditioning coach, is witnessing a shift.

“It has become an absolute game-changer with what we’re able to do with our student-athletes. We can roll 40 to 50 athletes through in 45 minutes and get done exactly what we need to do as far as speed development, mobility and strength,” Topple said. “Our programming has become more efficient, and I can already see the impact on our student-athletes.”

He said the space is changing the attitudes of the student-athletes, too.

“They love coming through those doors. This center builds culture, it builds teamwork and it builds character. And it relies on discipline and consistency, just like everyday life does outside of here,” said Topple, who joined AU about three months ago to lead all aspects of athletic performance training across Augusta’s 15 NCAA programs.

“We took about six months to make sure we found the right person for our new head coach for strength and conditioning,” said Athletic Director Ryan Erlacher. “Jacob Topple has been an unbelievable addition to our team. His work ethic, character and integrity have our student-athletes doing things I’ve never seen. We are very fortunate to have him here at AU.”

More than 100 people, including university leaders, student-athletes, coaches, staff and family and friends of the Harrises, attended the opening event and toured the new space inside Christenberry Fieldhouse on the Forest Hills Campus. The center is equipped with weight benches, treadmills, stationary bikes and other essential fitness machines, as well as free weights and a variety of training tools to help student-athletes boost strength and enhance performance, while also providing appropriate conditioning to help prevent injuries.

At least four times the size of the previous weight room, this modern training and fitness zone fills most of the upper mezzanine on the south side of Christenberry, spanning about 4,000 square feet to accommodate more student-athletes concurrently, safely and comfortably.

“When I first joined Augusta University three years ago, our golf team didn’t have a facility where we could all train together,” said Dean Wilken, a senior on the men’s golf team. “The creation of the new gym gives every student-athlete the space to come together, push each other and keep chasing championships side by side. It isn’t just about physical performance. It’s about mental strength, team unity and pride.”

The Alvin and Yvette Harris Sports Performance Center is essential for all of AU’s student-athletes, including the spirit squads of cheer and dance, as well as for those who compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, softball, tennis, track and field and volleyball.

“There have been many upgrades going on in the past year at Christenberry, but the Alvin and Yvette Harris Sports Performance Center has had a direct impact for us student-athletes,” said Sierra Burns, a junior women’s basketball player. “It has been amazing to have unlimited access to the latest equipment and the help of our amazing weight-lifting coach, Coach Topple.”

Wilken and Burns, who are both students in the James M. Hull College of Business, spoke on behalf of student-athletes about their experiences in the new center. Wilken emphasized that the addition of Topple at the facility sets up student-athletes for another level of success.

For Erlacher, it is a dream come true.

“The Alvin and Yvette Harris Sports Performance Center will elevate every aspect of how our teams train for competition,” he said. “For us to reach our true potential, we must offer athletics facilities that compete with the best in the country. This new space will significantly impact our recruiting and retention efforts and help us develop champions. Our student-athletes deserve first-class facilities, and this center reflects the continued investment Augusta University and our supporters are pouring into the student-athlete experience.”

When Erlacher first approached the Harrises about supporting his vision for a sports performance center, the couple wanted to be sure this project would not just help with two or three sports, but that it would impact every single one of AU’s student-athletes.

“This facility will not only impact every student-athlete currently here at AU, it’s going to make a significant difference for every student-athlete that walks through our doors for many years to come,” Erlacher assured them.

Alvin “Al” and Yvette Harris have been pillars of service and philanthropy for Augusta University for nearly 30 years. Their relationship with AU began around 1996 when Al – working for Harris and Sons, his father’s two-Greyhound-bus business – drove the Augusta Jaguars basketball team to a couple of travel games in Milledgeville, Georgia, and Greensboro, North Carolina. This prompted more athletics transport requests and, later, student shuttles.

In 1998, with his father’s blessing, Al and Yvette, who is the office manager, took their bigger vision for the family business and grew it into Horizon Motor Coach, which today manages about 40 buses and more than 70 drivers. For more than 15 years, Horizon has been the official provider for the JagExpress shuttle service, which operates as many as 17 buses a day connecting students, faculty and staff across the university’s Augusta campuses.

Al’s sister graduated from AU, and Yvette attended for a short while until the business took off. On top of serving as president and CEO of Horizon, Al currently serves as a member of the Augusta University Foundation Board of Trustees. As the co-immediate past chair, he helped steer the consolidation of the AU and Georgia Health Sciences foundations a few years ago.

Jazz lovers, Al and Yvette established the Harris-Horizon Jazz Program in 2016, working with Wycliffe Gordon in the Katherine Reese Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, to bring jazz celebrities such as Jimmy Owens and Houston Person to perform in Augusta. They also created the Alvin and Yvette Harris Scholarship Endowment, which has provided need-based scholarships for five undergraduate students so far, and because it is an endowment, it will continue providing student scholarships in perpetuity.

“Their giving has touched nearly every corner of this institution – fine arts, nursing, business, allied health sciences, athletics, and our Children’s Hospital of Georgia,” Keen told the guests at the ribbon-cutting. “Your heartfelt support for Augusta University, our students and our programs reflects the remarkable character and compassion you both bring to every single thing you do. On behalf of the entire AU community, I thank you for being an inspiration and for making a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve – our students.”

You can make a gift to the Alvin and Yvette Sports Performance Center or any of the funds established by Al and Yvette Harris through the fund search page or by contacting AU’s Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement office via email or by calling 706-721-4001.