April/May 2019 - 31

training center was furnished with new racks, cardio
equipment, weights and flooring from Perform-X. It
also has an indoor turf area. The improvements were
undoubtedly a boon to the athletic program, but Johnson
said they also provided greater opportunities for physical
education classes.
" The old expression is athletic participation increases
academic performance, " he said. " So we try to get every
students in there to get a break from classes. "
Project takeaway: " Start with the end in mind, "
Johnson said. " And know that there's always going to be
some ancillary items that come up that you're not prepared
for. You just have to know that the general project is the
most important piece of the puzzle.
" One of the big things I did on this project is defer to
the experts. You can't administrate from behind a desk.
Let the people who are working there every day make the
decisions. "
Pelham City Schools (Alabama)
Several teams at Pelham High School never had space
to call their own, but that's all changing with the district's
latest facilities projects.
Last fall, the school unveiled its new 16,000-square-foot
field house, complete with new locker rooms, coaches'
offices, meeting rooms, and a multipurpose room for
strength and conditioning. The facility was two years in
the making, and it's just one phase of a larger initiative to
improve athletics throughout the district.
" Nobody in football, soccer or track had their own home,
and the (old field house) wasn't anything that people were
taking pride in, " said Kimberly Kiel, director of athletics.
" We had a very small weight room that all sports were
using. Kids were coming in at 6 a.m. until 7 at night just so
all athletes had the opportunity to be trained. "
Kiel said the old field house was built in the 1980's, and
it lacked sufficient space for the football team and girls'
programs. It was the school's mission to build something
the athletes could call " home, " and the new field house
is a step forward. The new weight room, outfitted by
Wright Equipment in Alabama, provides enough space
to accommodate up to five teams at once. The old field
house will be renovated, providing space for the track and
soccer teams.
Kiel said the project involved a lot of collaboration,
including the superintendent, board president, director of
operations and the football coaches. Construction delays
caused by weather forced the school to open the field house
three months later than expected, but football players were
able to use the facility with two weeks left in their season.
The field house is part of a five-year plan that has
already renovated two gymnasiums and built an indoor
hitting facility for softball players. The district also built an
observation deck at the baseball field.
Project takeaway: " I would go into any project knowing
no matter how well you plan, it won't matter because not
everything will go according to plan, " Kiel said. " The thing
I learned is patience and flexibility. I also found it helpful
Choose #111 online or text CADAPR 111 to 41411
COACHAD.COM 31
to develop a relationship with the construction company,
being visible, and speaking with them to be on top of any
issues that might be coming.
" Develop a relationship with those people, stay in
communication and be flexible. "
Christ School (North Carolina)
Christ School's new $6 million indoor practice facility
will take its athletic program into the future, but not
without a nod to its past.
Last spring, the all-boys school located just outside
Asheville unveiled its 23,000-square-foot athletic facility,
featuring practice space, a new weight room, a 40-yard turf
field, and a timeline of its athletic program. Christ School
was founded in 1900, and Athletic Director Eric Thorp
said the school wanted to make student-athletes cognizant
of its rich sports tradition.
" Before, we just had a hall of fame area, and this was
more information and a history of athletics, not just athletes
individually, " Thorp said. " It's something we talk about: The
long green line of students at Christ School, and being able
to show current students what came before them. "
Aside from celebrating its history, Christ School's
indoor practice facility also includes an expanded weight
room. Thorp said prior to the project, the program used
800 square feet of old racquetball courts and housed just
three squat racks. The new space offers a dozen racks
http://www.COACHAD.COM
April/May 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April/May 2019
