As part of an initiative to improve Hillsdale College students’ experience and promote healthy living, college administrators hired former cross-country coach Bill Lundberg as the first Hayden Park Fitness/Recreation Director and Manager. The park is now open to all interested students who seek an outdoor location for their recreational activities.
Lundberg, who coached Hillsdale’s track and cross-country programs for 27 years, will manage the 200-acre park and clubhouse, which will host camps, speaking, events, and athletic competitions. He will also form a running club, plan mountain bike group rides, and maintain a cross-country ski course in the winter.
The project started in the wake of one of the worst retention rates for Hillsdale students in years.
Hiring Lundberg and developing the clubhouse are two ways in which Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé hopes students will find the “balance they need.”
“We’ve built [Hayden Park],” Péwé said, “and now we’ve got to facilitate it.”
Pewe said it is difficult to tell just how much money or time has been invested in the park.
“We’ve moved a lot of rocks and stumps. The development is the sweat-equity of a lot of people,” Péwé said.
This year, few have put as much sweat into Hayden Park as Assistant Athletic Trainer Gustin Hemingway. Hemingway built eight miles of a single-track course for mountain biking.
“I went out there for two to three hours every couple of days,” Hemingway said.
He is happy with the results, he said. Already mountain bikers from around southern-Michigan have paid a visit to Hayden Park.
“There is potential for it to be a destination trail,” Hemingway said.
Hemingway’s passion is just what Lundberg is hoping to pass on to students.
Lundberg said he plans to work with students, the Health and Wellness Center, Health Director Brock Lutz, and Student Activities Director Amanda Bigney to plan events and create opportunities to improve the overall health and fitness of campus.
“We are going to get some fun things going,” Lundberg said.
Lundberg said he plans to focus on motivating students, providing instruction, and creating opportunities for students to work in groups.
“It’s an extension of what I did as coach,” Lundberg said.
Lundberg’s office will be located in the Hayden Park Clubhouse next to the driveway at the park’s entrance.
He described it as a home base where he will check-out bikes, host small group activities, print course maps, or even meet a student for a run on the cross-country course.
“I’ll go out there with anyone,” Lundberg said.
That’s why the administration hired him, Péwé said.
Ultimately, Péwé said, Lundberg could be Hillsdale’s answer to a serious problem with the student body.
“They don’t have the balance they need,” Péwé said. “Bill is going to help us get to that point where students are balanced.”
Péwé said long-term plans could also include expanding the park and building a driving range.
“The sky is the limit.”
