When entering a new school year, new changes and advancements are put in place in every department. This year, our athletic department has made two big purchases in favor of the basketball/volleyball and football/soccer athletes.
Shane Koerner, (Athletic Director) confirmed that the two big purchases were a new volleyball net system, a new installation of the gym floor and the new scoreboard. He went on to confess he didn’t have the cost of the gym floor for the district “took that into their own hands.” However, he did confirm the school paid a total of $14,000 for all new volleyball nets and poles. When asked why these upgrades were needed, he stated, “Well, the gym floor hadn’t been changed for years and needed a little pick me up, but as for the volleyball nets they were just completely broken and honestly becoming dangerous. It had just become clear last year that a replacement was needed. Also, this new system is just more convenient because the old poles were thirty or forty lbs. while these new ones are more or less around ten or fifteen lbs. “In terms of future purchases, Kerner stated, “Well hopefully in the next year or two, the padding all around the gym can be replaced.”
Kerner states, “Well I hope they feel a sense of pride of not only being in this school but being an athlete in this school. For as long as I’ve been in this job, I’ve always wanted to include every sport in everything we do. You see other schools prioritizing one sport over another but that’s not how I want this school to be. So, in the end, I just hope they feel not only excited but prideful and included.” With a quick thank you, the conversation came to a conclusion. After hearing what Kerner had to say,
Aubrey Aldan is a female basketball installment and was very excited overall because “the floor has been really bad the past two years to the point where a lot of people were getting hurt. It also just looks nicer as well.” She continues to list the benefits these purchases will bring. She claimed it will not only be safer but “lets Ridgeview look a lot more kept up to date and allows more tournaments to happen which helps fund indoor sports.”
On the subject of possible new purchases for next year she says, “Equipment that should be replaced is probably new balls for volleyball and basketball. New mats for wrestling and overall better equipment to keep the gym tidy and safe for our students and others who visit.”
Amari Amey, a male basketball player, admitted he did know about the new gym floor before starting the school year. When asked how this news made him feel, he responded, “It made me feel happy and the court feels amazing so hopefully this season will be fun.” He gave his insight ecstatic and really left the impression that this new purchase was an exciting one for him. “Besides the courts like the hoops, nothing really to replace but it would be nice to get a Vertimax!” added Amari.
