Nicholas Pietrzycki is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Arcadia High School for AZPreps365.com.

On a typical sunny late afternoon in Phoenix, the Arcadia Titans football team had their individual and team pictures taken before their typical Thursday afternoon walk-through. After taking pictures the players hustled back into the locker room to change into their pads before coming back onto the field. 

However, this is not the same typical locker room the Titans used earlier this year. The Titans’ new locker room is vastly improved, according to multiple players. A new film room, more seating, and several fridges have found their new home in the Titans’ locker room.

The new additions and multiple renovations to the Titans’ locker room have been an ample boost to everyone on the team. 

“I was in awe,” sophomore wide receiver Brady Forst said. “One day none of it was there, and the next day all of it was there.” 

Arcadia’s booster program does not agree with making their players sell candy bars, cookie dough or other items typically sold by football teams to raise money. Instead, they rely primarily on corporate sponsorships and donations, according to the Titans’ booster president Larry Jones. 

“We try not to put any pressure on our players,” Jones said. 

One such donation to the Titans came from Epiq Global, a legal services company that serves law firms, corporations, financial institutions and government agencies, according to the company’s website. Epiq donated old furniture that was once used in the company’s breakroom to the Titans. Items donated include tables, booths, multiple kinds of chairs and even fridges that the Titans’ players and coaches can utilize in the locker room. 

One of the items of furniture donated by Epiq Global (Nicholas Pietrzycki/AZPreps365).

Lili Mero, an employee of Epiq Global, spearheaded the donation of the furniture to the Titans. Mero is a committee chair with the boosters and helps the Titans with their pregame meals and the Titan Grill, the snack bar used on game days.

“It was incredibly generous of Epiq to donate the furniture instead of selling it,” Mero said. 

Epiq is not done donating furniture to the Titans, according to Mero. The company plans to donate old cabinets that used to be in the company’s break room for the team to utilize in the locker room’s developing kitchen area.

However, the biggest addition to the locker room has been the addition of an adjoining film room. The film room houses more than 60 custom chairs with the Arcadia logo on every chair. The film room has been a work in progress for nearly four years, as a result of changes in personnel at Arcadia, according to Jones.

“A good amount of money for the chairs was donated to us,” Jones said.

Along with the customized chairs, the walls of the room have been painted in the Titans’ colors, red, royal blue and white, along with custom logos on the wall, according to Jones. 

One of the custom logos on the walls of Arcadia's film room (Nicholas Pietrzycki/AZPreps365). 

Before being the film room, the room housed Arcadia’s wrestling team. After the installation of the film room, the wrestling team was moved to a different room inside the football pavilion. 

Players and coaches alike have equally enjoyed the new film room since its creation. 

“It's huge,” head coach Ray Brown said. “Now we can sit in and talk to the team together. Where before guys were scattered all over the locker room.” 

The film room has been a huge help to the Arcadia coaching staff. Utilizing three large televisions located in the front of the film room. The televisions are big enough to see from the last row of chairs and offer an easier way to watch films. 

“The booster club has done such a tremendous job in raising funds to pull this off,” Brown said.

The technology of the film room has also been an advantage to the Titans on game day. And technology gives you a benefit on game day, according to Brown. 

Multiple electrical outlets were also installed in the locker room, with many players taking advantage of these outlets and charging their phones during their Thursday night walk-throughs. 

Along with all the new additions to the player portion of the locker room, the coaches’ office has also been improved. A new paint job and a new fridge that was donated from Epiq, according to Jones. 

“We want the coaches to feel as comfortable as the players,” Jones said.

However, the changes to the Titans’ locker room are not finished. The next improvement to the Titans’ locker room will be an improved kitchen area, according to Jones. 

The final step in the remodel of the Titans locker room is to get more spacious lockers for the players, according to Jones. The plan is to get sit-in lockers, similar to those found in most collegiate lockers around the country.