School needs another facility for growing programs

Catherine Valencia | staff writer

With even more student-athletes added each year from elementary to high school, Scottsburg High School and Scott County School District 2 could use another sports facility.

Since the start of COVID-19, schools and other area gymnasiums do not want to share their facilities. Even though other schools and organizations do not wish to share their facilities for valid health reasons, the action makes it unfortunate for SHS and Scott 2 because we do not have enough room for all sports to play or practice. Elementary travel sports teams practice at the high school and at Meyer Gym because their gymnasiums do not have a central location, enough space, or being used for cafeteria space.

With COVID-19, people have to social distance more than ever. Gymnasium space district-wide was turned into cafeteria space to comply with health department procedures. In the past, SHS could work around the gymnasium area and make space. Now, students have to make sure that everyone socially distances, especially if people from a different team stand nearby.

The new restrictions in space and in health make it harder to practice and play successfully in a timely manner. For example, sometimes sports teams that take place outdoors need a place to practice indoors if the weather turns to rain, snow, high winds, or thunder and lightning. Inside, no room exists if a team was already practicing in the gymnasium. A larger, new sports facility would help for situations like these. Sports teams would not lose practice time and would not have to have the worry about not being able to practice.

With the right amount of money put into this, a sports facility could last several years. Just as any other place it would need a consistent amount of time, money, and energy put into it but it would benefit everyone for years to come.