McDonald County High School athletic director Bo Bergen recently gave an update on the progress of the future athletic sports complex.
He began by expressing his thanks to members of the school board for "their willingness to help the kids and meet the needs of the athletes -- be open to ideas. It really shows it's all about the kids."
He continued, "I really think this project will provide a boost of morale for the community and make our school a front-runner for facilities. I think it will really help the energy for Friday night football games. I anticipate more students getting involved. It will give our students something to be proud of."
In addition to the new building, there will be a new turf field.
"It's not just going to help our school programs; we can host community events and we won't have to worry about damaging the grass field. Turf is a lot more durable," Bergen said.
He emphasized the new facility will not be just for football but for all sports.
"It provides a new field for soccer. The band can use the turf with no worries of damage," he said. He also added the track team will be able to use the new field, which will have new jump pits, high jump, and a new area for discus and shot put.
Bergen said, "The athletic complex, in particular, will have an indoor area the football team will use, as well as other sports when out of season. The junior high wrestling team will have an area to practice."
There will be a new training room where students can get treated and a new weight room to eliminate space issues the high school has now, he said. There will also be a new locker room with a locker for every player in the program, he added.
The upstairs portion of the building will feature a college-style film room and another locker room, which track and soccer will have access to. Also upstairs will be two coaches' offices, a conference room and a laundry room, he said.
There will also be an observation mezzanine on the inside, where coaches can watch teams practice from above and record practices. Also, there will be an outdoor terrace on the front of the building with space for up to 100 people to have events or watch games, Bergen said.
On the front of the building, there will be a concession stand for use during games.
"We wanted a more central location for restrooms and concessions between the two sides," Bergen said.
The turf field will feature a Mustang in the center and the word "Mustangs" in both end zones. It will also have alternating shades of green every five yards and a surface that accommodates both football and soccer.
There is an opportunity for sponsors and donors to be featured on the turf surface itself. The advertisements will be located on the home side of the field outside of the sideline. "We plan to use their contributions to enhance the experience for our athletes directly," Bergen said.
The building will be located on the south side of the football field between the practice field and the game field. It will be about 15,000 square feet.
The turf field will be completed by Feb. 11, 2019, and the building could be completed as early as July 2019.
Bergen concluded, "I'm excited to give the kids something we've needed for a long time. I think it will help our athletic program tremendously. I think it will give our community something to be proud of, as well as our kids."
He expressed his thanks to everyone involved in early discussions about the project, as well as the school board and Superintendent Mark Stanton.
General News on 10/18/2018