30
Jun, 2018
Major gift from Lance & Stephen robbins to create new Warriors & Wildcats Strength & Conditioning Center
[Posted June 30, 2018] The purpose of the Uni Hi Education Foundation is to raise funds to support University High School beyond what is provided by the Los Angeles Unified School District. The newest example is the creation of the Warriors and Wildcats Strength and Conditioning Center, made possible by The Lance Robbins Family, including Uni alumni Lance Robbins ‘65 and brother Stephen Robbins ‘62.
The new facility will replace and expand the current weight-training room in the South Gym with world-class equipment from top-flight manufacturers including Life Fitness, Hammer, Rogue and ViPR Pro.
Each item will be specially identified and painted in Uni’s royal blue and persimmon colors and the weight-training area will be expanded into an indoor/outdoor complex with video instruction capabilities. Veteran Uni coach Ryan Ritcheske will supervise instruction and use of the Center, with an emphasis on promoting safe strength and conditioning through state-of-the-art resiliency and performance training techniques. In addition, a new Sports Medicine program is being planned to begin in the fall semester.
Lance Robbins explained his family’s gift as a legacy of his Uni experience. “My time at Uni shaped my view of the world and set me on my life’s path, and my football coach, Duane LaRue was a big part of that.
“I learned a lot about diversity and how to interact with my peers. I learned to work hard, to deal with pain and never quit. To this day those lessons give me strength during trying times, both physically and mentally. I have lifted weights since I was 13 years old and have continued it all the way through to today. I credit it for a great many things, but I also suffered injury from the exercises I was taught because we didn’t know any better then. We do now. I owe a lot to the community of University High School and I want to pass that forward to today’s families.”
Lance (pictured at left) was honored as a member of the All-City football team as a strong and undersized lineman, and then played at UCLA, from which he graduated in 1969. After graduating, he earned a Juris Doctor degree at the University of California’s Boalt Hall, practiced real estate law and then started what is now a nationally-recognized real estate development company specializing in recycling inner-city historic buildings into art, music and residential centers nationwide.
His belief in mentorship and life transformation led to volunteer addiction counseling for 13 years, endowing the first academic chair at Berkeley’s Law School addressing destructive drug policies and supporting social and medical research in the potential of cannabis treatment. The strength, determination and inclusiveness learned at Uni drives him to this day. He continues to welcome inquiries and opportunities to mentor at his Web site Urbansmartgrowthllc.com for those seeking a way forward.
The Robbins Family’s major gift was added to by the UHEF to complete the indoor/outdoor aspects of the facility. The total cost of the new equipment, installation and complementary technology infrastructure will surpass $80,000.
The installation is already underway and will continue through the summer. The new Warriors and Wildcats Strength and Conditioning Center will be in use by Uni’s sports teams this fall.
Alumni: you too can help create new vibrancy at Uni through your gifts, working in coordination with the Uni Hi Education Foundation. Interested? Contact UHEF Vice President Randy Awni (randyawni@minermason.com) at (310) 995-9274 to find out how!