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Rebels can't wait to move into state-of-the-art field house
By JASON GILMER, [email protected]
Published July 10, 2007
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One of the few things that the new field house at Byrnes High School needs is extra glass cleaner, as nose prints and smudges are on the windows from players looking in.
The football team is on campus this summer working out and running, but can't officially use the new facility that sits just off Nixon Field.
While it sits there, coaches have used the building to excite players.
"That's the carrot dangling," strength coach Mike Srock said of the building's allure. "This is going to take us to the next level."
The $2.9 million, two-story, 19,000-square foot facility will mostly be used by the football team. There's a team room similar to a movie theatre with stadium seating, five smaller rooms with a retractable wall, a large training room, weight room, two ice machines, two larger washers and dryers and plenty of storage for equipment.
"Great things you wait for to take place and when it gets here it will be something the community and school will be proud of," athletic director Billy Young said. "It's a state-of-the-art facility."
Construction of the facility, which former coach Bobby Bentley helped design prior to his departure for Presbyterian College, began last year with the hope that the Rebels could use it all summer.
After a few delays, it looks like players will be in the building when practice starts on July 27. Bentley unveiled plans for the project in November 2003, but it took a while to get it started.
Now, though, there is plenty to see.
"Players seeing this will hopefully help keep the program going in the right direction," head coach Chris Miller said. "The kids are all excited about getting in there."
If anyone is happier than Srock about the building, they'd be hard to find. He looks like Santa Claus has delivered several sleighs full of toys to his door when he talks about the building.
The weight room is almost 8,000 square feet and is twice the size of the room Srock coaches out of now. Racks, bench presses and other equipment are already in Srock's play land and the strength coach is ready to get players in there to work out.
On a typical lifting day this summer, Srock will have three sessions of almost 50 athletes because of space concerns. With the new weight room, he could easily oversee 150 kids at one time.
"The old weight room is great, but it limits me in what I can do because of space," Srock said.
Srock said he wasn't sure if he plans to let some of the younger players use the weight room, until they prove worthy.
But, he's looking forward to other sports teams using the weight room.
"Football may have built this, but all of the sports teams will use it," he said.
The field house will alleviate space problems the school has encountered in recent years, Young said, as there were never enough lockers for football players.
Other than the locker room space and spacious weight room, Miller said he was excited about the breakout rooms, which will be used as meeting rooms for different positions.
"There's plenty of space to divide into different groups," he said. "And if you're looking for a player or coach, you don't have to look for groups in different hallways or another building."
Rebels can't wait to move into state-of-the-art field house
By JASON GILMER, [email protected]
Published July 10, 2007
View photo gallery
One of the few things that the new field house at Byrnes High School needs is extra glass cleaner, as nose prints and smudges are on the windows from players looking in.
The football team is on campus this summer working out and running, but can't officially use the new facility that sits just off Nixon Field.
While it sits there, coaches have used the building to excite players.
"That's the carrot dangling," strength coach Mike Srock said of the building's allure. "This is going to take us to the next level."
The $2.9 million, two-story, 19,000-square foot facility will mostly be used by the football team. There's a team room similar to a movie theatre with stadium seating, five smaller rooms with a retractable wall, a large training room, weight room, two ice machines, two larger washers and dryers and plenty of storage for equipment.
"Great things you wait for to take place and when it gets here it will be something the community and school will be proud of," athletic director Billy Young said. "It's a state-of-the-art facility."
Construction of the facility, which former coach Bobby Bentley helped design prior to his departure for Presbyterian College, began last year with the hope that the Rebels could use it all summer.
After a few delays, it looks like players will be in the building when practice starts on July 27. Bentley unveiled plans for the project in November 2003, but it took a while to get it started.
Now, though, there is plenty to see.
"Players seeing this will hopefully help keep the program going in the right direction," head coach Chris Miller said. "The kids are all excited about getting in there."
If anyone is happier than Srock about the building, they'd be hard to find. He looks like Santa Claus has delivered several sleighs full of toys to his door when he talks about the building.
The weight room is almost 8,000 square feet and is twice the size of the room Srock coaches out of now. Racks, bench presses and other equipment are already in Srock's play land and the strength coach is ready to get players in there to work out.
On a typical lifting day this summer, Srock will have three sessions of almost 50 athletes because of space concerns. With the new weight room, he could easily oversee 150 kids at one time.
"The old weight room is great, but it limits me in what I can do because of space," Srock said.
Srock said he wasn't sure if he plans to let some of the younger players use the weight room, until they prove worthy.
But, he's looking forward to other sports teams using the weight room.
"Football may have built this, but all of the sports teams will use it," he said.
The field house will alleviate space problems the school has encountered in recent years, Young said, as there were never enough lockers for football players.
Other than the locker room space and spacious weight room, Miller said he was excited about the breakout rooms, which will be used as meeting rooms for different positions.
"There's plenty of space to divide into different groups," he said. "And if you're looking for a player or coach, you don't have to look for groups in different hallways or another building."
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