When Chris Moore approaches the main basketball court at SafeHaven Empowerment Center and sees “Home of the Gators” on an oversized banner, he sees more than the words.
For him, it’s a sign of the growth of the athletics program at the College.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Moore, the College’s athletics director and men’s basketball coach. “It’s about the culture, just what VPCC embodies. It’s just special to see it, and it’s just the beginning. I think it’s something we can be very proud of.”
Dr. Towuanna Porter Brannon, who shortly after being named the ninth president of VPCC in January 2021 committed to expanding sports, has a similar reaction.
“I think it adds credibility to our investment in athletics,” she said. “Having a whole facility for our players is incredible.”
While the City of Newport News owns the land and the building, the Bethea Family Foundation operates and funds SafeHaven, which is in the Denbigh section of Newport News. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Dec. 5, about a month after the VPCC basketball team played its first game there. Starting in fall 2025, SafeHaven also will be the home of the Gators’ women’s volleyball team.
This opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time for the College, which has sponsored sports since the early 1980s. However, the community may not have been aware. Moore understands part of that could be because the College hasn’t had a home gym or facility for its teams.
In just the past three years, the men’s and women’s basketball teams have played and practiced at Bethel High School, Kecoughtan High School, Warwick High School, the Boo Williams Sportsplex and the Denbigh Community Center. Women’s volleyball, which was added to the College in 2022, has played and practiced at Liberty Live Church, Heritage High School, the Boo Williams Sportsplex and Coastal Hampton Roads Sportsplex.
VPCC student-athlete Asheton Glass was among the speakers at the Dec. 5 ceremony. He explained what it meant for the basketball players to have a place to call their own.
“Since I came here nearly three years ago, we’ve had many different times of not knowing where we were going to have our games, where we were going to have our practices,” he said. “Now we do have a place to call our own home. It’s beautiful to be able to come out here.”
It has taken a load off Moore’s mind.
“Because I was so engulfed in it, I didn’t realize how much it was really taxing the players, myself, the coaches because every week we were like, ‘Hey, this is where we’re going to practice,’” Moore said. “It’s tough when you’re practicing on a high school court and playing on college courts. We were able to win games despite our circumstances. It's amazing.”
The founder of Bethea Family Foundation is Antoine Bethea, who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons. His career highlights include a Super Bowl championship with the Indianapolis Colts (XLI) and three Pro Bowl selections. He graduated from Denbigh High School, where he also was a standout basketball player. In college, he starred for Howard University. He has known Moore for several years.
“That’s how it came to fruition,” Bethea said.
When Moore learned the Bethea Family Foundation was renovating the former Boys and Girls Club on Thorncliff Road, he reached out to his longtime friend.
“He mentioned that they didn’t have a home court so he called to say, ‘Would you be open to it?’” Bethea recalled. “I said, ‘Most definitely.’”
Representatives from the foundation and the College got together and worked out the details.
“Why not? We have a gym here. It’s official court size for the college,” Bethea said. “We already had a relationship (Moore and Bethea) so let’s just continue. … It’s a beautiful partnership.”
Bethea said the partnership works will with the goals and missions of his family’s foundation.
“We talk about community. We talk about coming together. We talk about working together,” he said. “It signifies what the community is about, when you talk about the relationships.”
He praised the city for contributing money and time.
“To get this building to where it is, partnering with VPCC, that’s what this center’s about,” Bethea said. “It’s about partnering with other grass-roots organizations and we’re in it for the greater good.”
Dr. Brannon couldn’t thank the City of Newport News, the Bethea Family Foundation, and the College’s partners enough for the facility.
“You have created a space for them not only in the athletics field but to move on to be great contributors to the state of Virginia,” she said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, noting VPCC graduates, whether athletes or not, can be found in all industries throughout Hampton Roads. “You have given us a place to call home for the first time in almost 60 years.”
For more information on VPCC, visit www.vpcc.edu. For more information on VPCC athletics, visit www.vpccgators.com.