A new look has come to Francis W. Parker this summer. There have been new renovations, specifically in the Big Gym. Over the summer, new flooring was installed in the gym where volleyball, basketball, physical education, and other events take place. Although this renovation is recent, students, athletes, and administrators have already been impacted by the construction and the results.
In August, the gym was closed for these renovations. This was not sufficient for volleyball players as this time was their pre-season and the team usually practices there. Sophomore Dallyce Harrell, a student athlete who plays volleyball, said she was affected by the re-tiling of the Big Gym.
“The new floor is very good for playing, but it was not worth the retiling, and the time it was done at was an inconvenience,” Harrell said. To continue playing throughout the construction, they had to find a new place to practice. “We were in the Latin gym. It was an interesting experience because we also had new coaches along with a different gym.”
Athletes experience both the pros and cons of the re-flooring of the Big Gym. Many students in the past have mentioned how bad the flooring is, and how they do not perform to the best of their abilities because of it.
“The old flooring was incredibly slippery and was honestly awful to play on, so I’m glad that the problem got fixed,” senior and basketball player Ryan Bottjer said. She hopes that the new floor will help them in the future. “Hopefully with more grip we can rely on quick movements and have an overall better playing experience,” Bottjer said.
Bobby Starks, the director of athletics, said that the Parker community is happy with the new flooring. “Teams, P.E. classes, and the school community love our new floor. They love the end product,” he said.
There were challenges they had to overcome during the resurfacing. “The timing of the resurfacing presented some challenges for our volleyball team, but it wasn’t anything that the volleyball team and the P.E. department couldn’t handle,” Starks said.
