The Hindy Center Bursts the Old “Bubble”

Students and community members may recall seeing or practicing in “the Bubble.” Like other facilities on the Dyker Heights campus, this one has a history. Its official name is The Mark Hindy ’91 Baseball & Softball Training Center.

The facility was built in honor of Poly alumnus Mark Hindy ’91, who played baseball at Poly. Hailing from Bay Ridge, he attended Vanderbilt University where he also played baseball. Hindy was a victim of the attacks of September 11, 2001. An equities trader at Cantor Fitzgerald, Hindy was just 28 years-old when he died.

After falling into disrepair over the years since it was first dedicated in 2011, the construction project to upgrade the facility began in the summer of 2024 and was completed this school year. The new renovation was funded by an anonymous donor in Hindy’s honor, a lasting legacy for a Poly student who was passionate about baseball. The original dedication plaque remains outside the facility and a new tribute marker was recently installed.

by Johnny Rouse ’28

In the Spring of 2022, Poly Prep introduced the Matt Roventini Baseball Field in honor of Matt Roventini ’92, P’21, ’25, an alumnus, parent, and longtime baseball coach. The field renovation included dugouts, scoreboards, batting cages, bullpens, new bleachers, and a press box. This year, the baseball and softball teams gained another upgraded facility.

The Hindy ’91 Training Center, aka “the Barn,” was previously nicknamed “the Bubble” because of its rounded top and balloon-like structure. It is located next to Poly’s softball field. Prior to the renovation, which finished this winter, it only had three narrow cages and was dimly lit. Now, the all-season facility includes indoor batting cages, an arm care center, an office for the coaches, upgraded HVAC and lighting, plus a HitTrax system, which is a baseball simulator that analyzes players’ swings and pitches. 

The upgrades include better equipment, central heating, and improved lighting. Arguably, the most important part of the renovations is a new office for the coaching staff, which became necessary and convenient due to Interim Head of School John Rankin’s new rule that there must be a coach present in the Hindy Center when students use it. After relative disorganization within the original structure, this new rule, along with an increased emphasis on cleanliness, is part of the effort for all who use it to show more respect to the space and its new equipment. 

A recovery center in the arm care station is also part of the renovation. The station helps address arm injuries that occur among the students. It provides access to resistance bands, weighted balls, shoulder tubes, and more. John Zaremba ’29 attests part of his recovery from several arm injuries to the many tools for rehabilitation found in the Hindy Center, citing “better equipment, especially in the arm care station” as one of his favorite additions.

DID YOU KNOW? Coach Matthew Roventini ’92, P’21, ’25 and Mark Hindy ’91 played baseball together while they were both students at Poly.

Additionally, the old baseballs were replaced with fresh ones and new foam “smash” balls that help simulate the movement of certain pitches and the high velocity of others are a great addition for players. This newly lit space is beneficial for sports with such a small margin for error – one largely based on vision. The new lighting specifically allows pitchers to throw safely indoors in the winter without any worry of visual issues for the catchers who receive their pitches. The Hindy ’91 Training Center is also heated, making the outside temperatures and wind non-issues for training. This proves to be highly useful in the winter, as the harsh conditions can pose many challenges for training. The new and improved Hindy ’91 Training Center, the “Barn,” with all its upgraded features, will be a space that helps foster and grow new talent to maintain the success of the Poly’s baseball and softball teams for years to come.