Looking for Louisville women's athletics? Find them on Floyd -- Friday Cardinal Couple

THE WOMEN OF FLOYD


I have this friend who decided to start walking to lose weight (maybe Shoni should join her...) and she likes to walk around the path that circles Ulmer Stadium and Cardinal Park down on the UofL campus. She ventured off her usual path the other day and went all the way down to the Denny Crum Overpass and back. She was amazed at the number of UofL women's athletic facilities she passed. 

So...let's visit Floyd St. She is right...there are a lot of venues where UofL student-athletes play and practice. 

We'll start our trip on the north end of the UofL campus. There at the corner of Floyd and Brandeis ( a street that was named for the associate Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis...who was from Louisville) is Ulmer Stadium. Sandy Pearsall's softball sluggers play there. The Stadium has undergone a recent face-lift. They still need in-stadium restrooms and water in the press box but it's a very nice place to watch softball. 

Across the street, to our west...in the Student Athletic Center. This is the home of Louisville Women's Basketball and their main practice facility. You'll find a lot of coaches offices in the SAC also and the Sports Information department is housed there also. If Paulie has an interview with Walz, Karen Ferguson Dayes or Sandy Pearsall...he'll be headed there. You also see a lot of student athletes in there. 

Headed south on Floyd...Cardinal Park is next. It's on the same side of the street as Ulmer at track and field events take place there. It's not where Emmonnie throws...that's a little further down the street...but a lot of great sprinters and milers have run there. It also used to be the home of soccer until Lynn Stadium was built. 

Continuing south down the sidewalk, we'll encounter the home of Field Hockey...Trager Stadium. I guess you could say Trager is actually off Warnock Street...but you can see the action from Floyd. Coach Sowry's office is in the Marshall Center, next to the gas station on the corner of Arthur and Warnock. She's on the second floor and it's 26 upward steps to get to her door. My knee feels each and every one of them when I go to talk to her. 

Across the street from Trager is the Ralph Wright Natatorium. It's where Arthur Albiero and his splashers get it done. It's a gret place to watch a swim meet and also very warm and humid inside there...something to remember on cold, blustery winter days in Louisville. 

We've reached the corner of Warnock and Floyd. Thirsty or hungry? There's a McDonald's on the corner and a Papa John's just a little southwest of us on Floyd. 

We can see a soccer practice field and the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center from where we stand. We've still got plenty to see on Floyd Street, though...so let's keep moving.

If we were to take a right off of Floyd under the Eastern Parkway overpass it would lead us back to the "throws" field...where shot and discus are held. Parkway Field used to be there also....where Louisville baseball played for many years. When I was a student at UofL...we played intramural softball on Parkway Field also, I can proudly say that I parked a couple of "Mr. Spalding's" over that left field wall and onto the Parkway. Good bat, no glove. 

As we head south on Floyd, we'll see the YUM Practice Facility to our right. This is where Louisville men's basketball, Volleyball and Lacrosse have their offices. All are on the second floor...you can take the stairway or elevator to go visit Rick, Anne or Kellie. To get to the lacrosse offices, you pass the volleyball offices and go through a open space utility room. You can gaze through the windows on your right and see if anyone is practicing on the court on the first floor. I saw Montrezl Harrell dunk on that practice court a few years ago when I was going to interview Coach Young. 

From Coach Young's office, you get a great view of the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium. You can also see Papa John's Cardinal Stadium further to the south. Expect to see one of two of Coach's daughters scampering about and Patty Norton's office is there in that southeast corner also. If you ever have a question about Louisville women's sports...Patty probably has the answer.

Strangely, I never see anyone in the Louisville Volleyball offices when I visit the YUM! Practice Facility. Maybe they're all out recruiting...

Just to clarify, the YUM! Practice Facility isn't the KFC YUM! Center...where basketball and volleyball have games. That's downtown Louisville at 2nd and Main. We're not walking down there today...

We leave the YUM! and head south. We walk by the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium to our right (They're getting a press box! They're getting a press box! Everybody dance!!!) Across the street from us we can now see Lynn Stadium...where women's soccer plays. It's the best soccer facility in the nation and looks beautiful in the distance if you're driving south on I-65. We could have visited the Silos, too...that spelled out  "University of Louisville"...but those have been torn down...much to the relief of many Louisvillians. A great academic center is scheduled to go up in that spot. 

We've reached the end of our UofL women's sports walk...but let's keep going, shall we?  We can go a little further down Floyd and see if Al Parrish is in the Parrish House and have a beverage or two. The Parrish House and Cardinal Alley offer the best in Louisville Football tailgating. Stop by and see us on the corner of Floyd and Boxley. Howie Lindsey's office for Cardinal Sports is next door. We could pop in and see what's up with him.  


Continuing south, we would eventually end up at the Papa John's Football Stadium, too...if we keep walking. A right turn there would put us on Central Avenue and then we'd head west over Denny Crum Overpass on our way to Jim Patterson Stadium and the home of baseball. A few blocks further down Central gets us at the gates to Churchill Downs.

Let's stop in, rest our feet, watch a few fillies and mares run and have a beverage before we head back?  After all, we've just walked two miles! (Or maybe we could call one of the Coach Sam's to come pick us up...)  

I hope you've enjoyed our tour of "The Women On Floyd".  Let's make plans to get down there a bunch this fall and cheer on our Cards! 

paulie