A glass door opens into a freshly painted hallway lined with photos of some of Free State’s greatest athletes. Had I not known that I was in a high school, I might have assumed I was walking through the building of a great college team. Large windows that look out onto the Firebird field and a film room complete with a new projector are just a few of the luxuries that Free State athletes and coaches now enjoy thanks to left over money from a bond issue and a donation from a community member.
“It’s everything and more than I hoped it would be,” said senior football player Kirk Ressesguie.
However the finishing touches are not yet in place.
“The district is low on money, so we only have one phone and computer out here right now,” said athletic directer Mike Hill.
The film room is also missing a screen and chairs for players to sit in, and the women’s locker room is not yet complete. Hill said he expects everything to be done by the end of this year.
The new athletic facilities include locker rooms, concessions stands, restrooms, coaches offices and storage space for the teams. Using outdoor locker rooms will save valuable practice time.
“It will be ideal for the track season to have restrooms for the athletes and offices for the coaches that are accessible to the track area,” said track coach Jordan Rose.
Observation decks adjacent to the offices can now be rented to tailgaters at no charge. “At the LHS game we had some people up here. Students can even come up during the games. This is a great opportunity for our fans to enjoy the game,” said Hill.
“It’s great to be the first senior class to play on the field and start the tradition,” said Resseguie. “We’re really fortunate, not many schools around the midwest have something like this.”
Both Lawrence high schools now have premier outdoor athletic facilities, although Lawrence High’s is coming later.
“They’re getting something similar to this,” said Hill, “it just worked out better for our time table to get ours done first.”
