Arco Olympic Training Center, Chula Vista, CA

The U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista is the first USOC training facility to be master-planned from the ground up and is dedicated to the development of America’s future Olympic athletes.

The year-round, warm-weather facility in Chula Vista, Calif., was a gift to the United States Olympic Committee from the San Diego National Sports Training Foundation, a group of dedicated business and community leaders, and volunteers who raised the funds to build the Center.

The Training Center rests on a 150-acre complex adjacent to Lower Otay Lake in San Diego County. The center has sport venues and support facilities for nine Olympic sports: archery, canoe/kayak, cycling, field hockey, rowing, soccer, softball, tennis, and track & field

Through programs developed by the national governing bodies of each sport, and estimated 4,000 athletes each year will receive the coaching, support and facilities necessary to be their best. These numbers are increasing each year.

The Center, which officially opened in June 1995, not only benefits thousands of Olympic hopefuls, but serves local youth and citizens nationwide. The Training Center has been designed to accommodate thousands of daily visitors with escorted tours of our nation’s state-of-the-art national Training Center at no charge.

Thousands of student athletes and coaches also gain access to the Center for clinics and competitions when venues are not being utilized by Olympic athletes-in-training.

Facilities

Copley Visitor Center
Visitors start their experience at the Copley Visitor Center, complete with theater and an Olympic Spirit Store, featuring an extensive line of official USOC and Olympic merchandise and memorabilia. On the tour they see, first-hand, athletes in training from an elevated visitor promenade known as the Conrad N. Hilton Olympic Path.

U.S. Olympic Training Center, Chula Vista Informational Tour Options
Guided Tours:
Sat. 11am Walk-in Only
(Provided by the U.S. Olympic Training Center Staff)
Open to the public.

Tour begins with a 12 minute video about the Olympics then an overview of the history, purpose, and general facts about the U.S. Olympic Training Center. This tour includes a walk or golf cart ride down the Olympic Path.

Tour maximum of 50 people.

U.S. Olympic Store Shops:
Sun.-Mon. 11am & 1pm
Tues.-Sat. 11am, 1pm, &3pm
(Provided by a staff member at the Spirit Store)

The Staff at the Spirit Store Shops provide an overview of the U.S. Olympic Training Center and a 12 minute Olympic overview is shown. Depending on the size of the group, this may include a guided tour along the Olympic Path.
Self-Guided Tours:
Daily 9am-4pm

Visitors are welcome to take a walk down the mile long Olympic Path. Tour handouts are available at the Visitor’s Center. Docents are available for general hospitality and information on most days. The Olympic Video can also be viewed at request of the Docent or Spirit Store.
Scheduled Tours (includes Educational Tours): (for groups of 15 or more)
(Provided by the U.S. Olympic Training Center Staff)

Large groups can be scheduled to accommodate specific needs of a given group. Education tour for schools will be provided for second grade and above.  Similar to regular guided tour, school tours include an overview of Olympic facts and pageantry. School groups are required to reserve the tour at least four weeks in advance. (619)403-4163

Suggested Items to Bring:
-comfortable walking shoes (Olympic Path is 1 mile each direction)
-water bottle
-sunblock

Athlete Center
When athletes arrive at the Training Center, they register at the Athlete Check-In building, which also houses the Center’s administrative offices. In the Sharp Health Care Performance Services facility, athletes receive medical care, partake in sport science evaluation and psychology exercises.    Meals are provided in the architecturally distinctive Boswell Dining Hall, where athletes are offered a wide selection of nutritious, performance-based meals.   At the end of a long day of training, athletes make one of 34 two-bedroom suites their home-away-from-home.

The Easton Aluminum Archery Range

The 50-lane archery complex has movable targets allowing for training at distances up to 90 meters. The largest outdoor archery range in North America, the complex includes a support building which, like all of the Center’s venue support structures, includes a coaching office, apparatus storage and athlete restrooms.

Emily Hunt Black Athletics Complex
With the Otay Mountains as its backdrop, and under the watchful eye of “the Winged Runner” statue, sits the 400-meter, eight-lane running track with a 12-lane, 100-meter-straight-away and a separate six-acre throwing area for field events. The site includes a large support building and an observation tower.

Alex G. Spanos Field Hockey Complex
Field hockey athlete’s train on an artificial surface (pitch) complete with watering system to meet world standards. The ability to add a second pitch will complete an ideal training facility for an increasingly popular Olympic sport. A support building and observation tower put the finishing touches on this venue.

The Kyocera Soccer Complex
Soccer athlete’s train on four-grass soccer fields measuring 115 x 75 meters. In addition to providing training for elite athletes, the soccer fields have also been the site of action-packed competition and clinics for community youth. Two support buildings complete with meeting space and athlete locker rooms are available at this venue.

Lane/Kuhn Tennis Complex
Four hard-surfaced tennis courts are available to athletes and also present an area for cross training and recreation. The potential exists to add eight courts to enhance the venue. A support building and an observation tower provide extra benefits for enhancing the experience.

Douglas F. Manchester Family Cycling Criterium
Cyclists must meet the challenge of a criterium course nine-tenths of a mile in distance. The course features views of the soccer fields, archery range, Lower Otay Lake and the future site of softball. The course provides cyclists with a training venue for speed work, which opens onto the country roadways adjacent to the Center for scenic and demanding training.

The Boathouse
The award-winning designed boathouse was one of the first projects completed at the Center. A 3,000-meter rowing course with submersible lane markers is laid out on the Lower Otay Lake to accommodate athletes training in sweeps and sculls. Rowers use three of the bays of the Center’s boathouse.

Canoers and Kayakers also train within 13 shoreline miles of the lake, and utilize the floating dock the remaining three bays of the Center’s boathouse. The boatouse includes locker rooms and showers for Rowing and Canoe/Kayak athletes.

Softball
The softball venue includes a main playing field, practice infield, batting and pitching cages and an equipment storage unit.  The facility regularly accommodates the three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Women’s Softball Team.  The U.S.  Men’s National Softball Team also utilizes the fields at the Olympic Training Center.  The softball facilities were built with the help of the City of Chula Vista and the James G. Boswell Foundation.

Directions:
From I-5, take 54 East to I-805 into Chula Vista
Exit Olympic Parkway
Drive approximately eight miles and turn right into the Copley Visitor Center.

Contact Information

U.S. Olympic Training Center
2800 Olympic Parkway
Chula Vista, CA 91915-6000
TEL: (619) 656-1500
FAX: (619) 482-6200