Many sports and events are being affected this fall by construction to the performance gym, which was planned for earlier in the year, but has run into complications causing many changes to the calendar for the next two months. Starting in March, the performance gym went in construction mode but was forced to be postponed due to Hurricane Beryl and the humidity affecting the wood. With the gym’s construction being delayed, volleyball, basketball, and pep rallies were forced to relocate.
One of the most highly affected sports is volleyball. With no performance gym available, the teams are playing ‘home’ games at Clute Intermediate. The relocation has it’s annoyances, but in some ways, has helped bring the team closer together.
“The Clute Gym’s equipment isn’t as good as our normal ones; on the first day we were scrambling for poles, nets, and pads to just play and it took so long cutting into practice time,” junior Audrey Mulholland said. “I never really got to know the freshman team, but since we are seeing them more it really helps with getting to bond with them.”
While volleyball isn’t the only sport affected, basketball teams are also having to relocate and share gyms for practice and drills. Some afternoons, athletes can be found in the hallways running drills. However, the inconvenience should prove to be worth the wait once the new gym is revealed.
“Our new gym will have updated school colors, better graphics, and new gym equipment,” Athletic Director Jay Zeller said. “We will only have one side of the gym with bleachers, everyone including visitors will sit behind the players in the stands.”
Another consequence of the gym being inoperable is the need to hold off of full fledge pep rallies for the beginning of the year. Students COuncil had big plans to hold a pep rally as a new tradition specifically for incoming Freshman called “Pass the Buc.” Not letting the gym situation stop them, they pressed on with the idea, in a new location.
“Pass the Buc was to pass on the tradition of ‘Where Ya From’ and to get freshmen excited for the next four years of high school,” senior Tate Currier said. “Although we may not have a gym, we are still trying to keep school spirit.”
The gym is scheduled to be finished by October 4th for the Homecoming pep rally.
