Taking a tour of Orange Lutheran’s $15-million facilities upgrade

Tile, plaster, paint -- the final touches to a year-long, $15-million construction project at Orange Lutheran are being completed just days before school begins on Thursday.

I received a tour on Friday of the new and improved facilities, and with the smell of new paint present for every step, let’s just say students and athletes should be impressed. Among my personal favorites:

A team room with 125 new orange chairs that are so comfortable some coaches might have to wake up athletes taking a nap during talks.

A covered outside student hangout area with couches, chairs and flat-screen TVs, along with a new coffee-juice bar. Watch out, Starbucks.

New locker rooms for football and basketball players with fancy lockers. I got to peer into the locker of Keisean Lucier-South, the No. 1 linebacker in Southern California. Don’t mess with Lucier-South’s space.

A new training room that contains a giant, state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled whirlpool for ice baths. On 100-degree days, faculty might be lining up. And sportswriters might fake illness just to rest on one of the comfortable training tables and have their blood pressure checked.

An expanded weight room that is so large Orange Lutheran’s punter could practice in it. There’s going to be an area for protein drinks and candy bars.

There’s also a new auxiliary gym, new coaching offices, refurbished science classrooms, a new main entrance, and three new batting cages for baseball and softball.

In conclusion, it’s a big upgrade for a school that’s trying to encourage its students in all aspects, from academics to sports to the arts.

And who can’t wait to order a mocha cookie crumble frappuccino latte.

Twitter:@LATSondheimer