The Marching Band and Football Team adapt
Over the years, countless teams have used the lower practice field behind the cafeteria to cultivate their skills to reach their full potential. However, this year the JV football team and marching band have had to practice on different fields due to the lower practice field being replanted.
Principal Dr. Mike Craft has been attempting to organize this project for years.
“The lower practice field has had problems growing a good standing grass since I’ve been here, and even before I got here. By adding a layer of dirt towards the middle of it, we are planning to enhance the soil and make a better surface all around,” said Craft. “I’m hoping that it will hold grass and drain better than it has, now that we’ve added dirt to the middle of it. We’ve tried fixing that field several times without adding dirt, and it just will not grow grass, so our next step is to add dirt in order to make the grass grow. We’re hoping that this will be a permanent solution,” said Craft.
While the new field renovations will be beneficial, Craft acknowledges that it would have been more efficient if this project had been started after the Innovation Center renovations were completed.
The field renovations have significantly impacted the marching band’s first few weeks of rehearsal. Mrs. Miranda Fitzgerald, the marching band director, has been coordinating with school staff as to where the marching band could practice.
“It needed it, but in hindsight if we had to do it over again, we probably would have waited until we got these renovations done before we tried to fix the field,” said Craft.
Fitzgerald was not alerted of these new renovations due to miscommunication, which has led to a delay with the marching band members learning their show.
“A renovation is really something that turns a school upside down, and it requires all hands on deck to make sure everyone is safe and everything can be organized. Even though the marching band having a field is my first priority, it’s not necessarily the first priority of everyone around me. They’re more concerned with the whole school being able to run, so it’s about being able to step back and realize you’re a piece of the puzzle in the bigger picture,” Fitzgerald said.
“I think it was an oversight, but it is an oversight that can be understood… The biggest impact came when we realized the field in the back wasn’t going to be usable at all and that the football field wasn’t going to be functional. That’s when it seemed like we were seriously in a tough spot.”
After coordinating with the athletic director, Mr. Adam Haynes, Fitzgerald was able to transfer marching band practice to the upper practice field.
“Overall, I would say the learning of the show has been really good, and those weeks that put us behind are behind us now. We have room to grow, which is always good. I think the show will be good, it will be very short and simple, but we’re not willing to put anything out there that’s not our absolute best,” Fitzgerald said.
The JV football team has also had to move due to the lower field renovations. They now share a practice field with the varsity football team at Veteran’s Stadium.
JV football player, sophomore Carlos Yebra, was asked how he and his team were affected by the renovations.
“Moving the fields didn’t impact the team at all. Playing on the same field as the varsity team hasn’t affected JV. We are working as a team,and that’s all that matters, ” said Yebra.
While the replacing of the lower practice field’s soil will be beneficial, it has caused some confusion. Despite this disorientation and challenge, the teams that previously used the field were able to adapt, make the transition to their new fields, and continue on with their progress in becoming the best that they can be. The Lower Practice Field renovation was started this past June, and it is expected to be done by Feb. 2024.
