(The Monen Gallery at McCallie Squash, Life Fitness & Outdoor Center

As McCallie School rising senior Luke Picheny prepared to perform a squash exhibition game as part of the dedication of the school’s brand new squash, outdoor and fitness center, he was asked what he thought of the facility.

“It’s really breathtaking when you walk in here,” he said. “We watched it go up, but it always seemed so far from being finished. Now that it’s open, it’s incredible.”

More than 150 people who attended the event repeatedly used adjectives like “incredible,” “amazing,” and “unbelievable” to describe the squash courts, Lifetime Fitness’s workout room for students and faculty, and the outdoor facility for McCallie’s climbing and mountain bike teams.

The outdoor program area, located just behind the squash courts, is so impressive that enthusiastic climber John Gass (born 2007) remarked: “I probably would have gone to the Olympics if it had existed in my day.”

Interestingly, squash will be an Olympic discipline at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. It would not surprise anyone if at least some players on the US team have passed through the McCallie Squash Center by then.

Designed by architect Jay Caughman and built by Dillard Construction after a generous donation from local restaurant owner Mike Monen ’92, the center is the perfect venue for national tournaments with its eight courts, multiple spectator areas and live streaming capabilities.

“We’re actually bringing what we call a ‘Gold Medal’ tournament to the McCallies Center in January,” said McCallies squash coach Dan Sharplin. “The tournament will include boys and girls. Many 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.”

Dr. Seong-Joo Jeong (Class of 1990), a McCallie board member who toured several private school squash facilities on the East Coast when McCallie was planning its own venue, noted, “I would compare this center to any other I visited a few years ago. I don’t know of a better high school squash facility than this one.”

Mike Monen’s role in all of this cannot be overstated. He was a tennis teammate of McCallie tennis coach Jeff Clark in their senior year in 1992 and was first introduced to squash years later when his brother was studying medicine in New York City. When Monen’s company opened a Taco Mamacita in Charleston, South Carolina, he joined a squash club there and became addicted to the sport. Eventually, Monen opened Scenic City Squash on Chattanooga’s south side, where the McCallie team still trains today. “Mike is very passionate about the game,” said McCallie’s coach Sharplin, a native New Zealander. “If it weren’t for Mike, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”

None of this would have happened Thursday without McCallie Principal Lee Burns’ vision for the squash center, fitness center and outdoor center. As an unnamed board president said at the dedication, “Lee not only has the vision to envision such a facility, he has the passion, drive and expertise to make it a reality.”

Principal Burns approached Monen about 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 make a generous donation to the outdoor center, at least in part because they have three sons — Colin ’25, Ryan ’26 and Evan ’29 — currently enrolled at McCallie.

When asked why he and his son donated to the fitness center, Fogarty ’73 said, “McCallie changed my son’s life. He wasn’t a great athlete, but at McCallie he did cross country and 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 it.”

Fogarty ’06 added, “When I first heard that the fitness center would be part of the new complex, I envisioned something like a hotel gym. It’s anything but that. It’s fantastic.”

Burns said of the fitness facility, located on the second-floor balcony overlooking all eight squash courts, “This gives us the opportunity to provide a fitness center for the entire campus. We can offer CrossFit, yoga and other things. This gives us the opportunity to help our guys develop fitness habits for life.”

As for why the Sanders family wanted to help build the outdoor center, Mindy, a marathon runner herself, said, “Our family is a huge fan of outdoor fitness. The boys all ride mountain bikes. We thought it would be great to be a part of it and a great addition to McCallie’s facilities.”

The new outdoor center features three climbing walls. Climbing coach Jake Altemus, who helped design the space, said: “The structures can be tilted to different angles – 10 degrees, 20 degrees, 70 degrees. This feature allows for the greatest possible variety with minimal work.”

Acting Athletic Director Kenny Sholl addressed the large crowd gathered for the inauguration, giving special praise to Steve Hall of CourtTech, which built the courts, and project manager Kerry Neighbors.

“These new facilities reflect our culture and our goals,” Sholl said. “They will impact students from all walks of life. I continue to be blown away by how well everything has come together in such a beautiful and functional package. Excellence with humility. That’s the McCallie way.”

When Monen saw a white-painted steel beam above the entrance to the main viewing area of ​​the squash courts, with THE MONEN GALLERY written on it in large blue letters, he said: “I usually like to be humble, but I am so happy to receive this recognition and to see this new complex become a reality for everyone.”

At the conclusion of the dedication, Board President Gary Welch delivered a speech. “There is so much going on here right now,” he said. “The strategic plan, a master plan for the campus. And as our enrollment numbers increase, it is important to engage the boys both physically and mentally. The idea of ​​starting a squash program is reminiscent of what we have seen with lacrosse and rowing. The squash, outdoor and fitness center is another way to develop the whole boy – body, mind and spirit – just like McCallie has been doing since 1905.”

Left: Lee Burns; right: Taylor and Mike Monen standing in front of the center