Get ready Thousand Oaks, the Los Angeles Rams are coming to town. According to an ESPN article, the Rams and California Lutheran University have finalized an agreement that will allow the Rams to build their temporary training facilities on campus.
“The Rams’ decision to base its training operations at Cal Lutheran is overwhelmingly positive,” Assistant Director of Athletics for Performance, Patrick Holmberg said in an email interview. “Given that the organization will invest in athletic facilities, provide internship opportunities for students and attract people to our city and campus, the team’s presence is noteworthy.”
Holmberg could not have said it any better. This is a big win for Cal Lutheran and we should welcome the Rams with open arms when they begin practices in August.
According to the ESPN article, the Rams plan on paying for two practice fields to be installed, a paved parking lot and temporary modular buildings.
This in itself is a win for Cal Lutheran. When the Rams find and complete their official training facility, they will leave all of the permanent structures to Cal Lutheran, which will move us toward the completion of the campus master plan, President Chris Kimball said in an email interview.
Not only will they leave behind a great present, but their time on campus will bring gifts as well.
“They have promised internships,” Kimball said. “They have also said that their players, coaches and staff will be available to visit classes, participate in events and help in fundraising.”
Even though news of the Rams moving to Thousand Oaks is recent, I have already heard students around campus talking about these supposed internships. Students want to know more about the internships and what exactly is being offered.
The best news is that even though internships will most likely only be given to a small portion of Cal Lutheran students, people can hope for class visitations and other interactions with the Rams organization.
“The Rams have publicly expressed their intention to reach out and become an integral part of the Cal Lutheran and Thousand Oaks communities,” Holmberg said.
Imagine the economic impact that this move could create in our area.
Mayor Joel Price said in an interview with the Ventura County Star, “They’re bringing with them their families. Those families will be eating in our restaurants, shopping at our stores.”
The newspaper article also said that some players and staff members have already purchased houses. They looked at Thousand Oaks as a whole, including schools and parks. This could lead to great attention for this city.
“It lets people know outside the area what a jewel the Conejo Valley is because a professional organization like the Rams chose to come here,” Jill Lederer, president of the Greater Conejo Chamber of Commerce, said in the VC Star article.
This attention will not only help the Thousand Oaks community, but it will provide Cal Lutheran with an extra selling point for prospective students. I have heard from campus tour guides that students and their parents coming to visit our school have already begun asking lists of questions about this partnership with the Rams.
We should embrace this wonderful opportunity with the Rams.
“I think having them on campus for a couple of years is a great opportunity for Cal Lutheran in a whole range of areas: facility development, public awareness and experiential learning,” Kimball said.
Makenna Pellerin
Staff Writer
Published April 13th, 2016