New renovations excite the 2014-2015 Bulldog Athletics

By Jaelynn Derricot 

It has been 39 years since the main gym’s floor has been altered. Changes in color and logos have become a big excitement for Bulldog athletics this season.

“There is not actually a new floor, it has just been sanded down and repainted,” Athletic Director Don Unruh said. “It has been the same flooring and wood since 1975. I don’t have a total cost, because there are so many renovations going on in athletics.”

Besides the new floor, the locker rooms have been redone. New lockers, carpet, and paint were all picked out to redesign and make the Bulldog locker rooms more efficient. This all comes with a cost and workers to make it happen.

“Money for school projects comes from capital projects fund,” Mr. Unruh said. “Capital project funds are set aside for our building improvements. The flooring company is the same as we used in the past, they also do the floor at the Yum Center and most of the basketball floors in the state of Indiana.”

“One thing led to another, the discussion of renovations started in the summer,” Mr. Unruh said.

Unruh says it always comes down to a group effort when deiciding upon renovations. Not just one individual person decides to renovate and make new decisions. Boys Basketball Head Coach Jim Shannon said that Mr. Unruh, Superintendent Dr. Bruce Hibbard and he got together to specifically talk about what exactly they wanted to do in the locker rooms and chose lockers and floor designs.

“There was discussion about a lot of cuts and grooves in the floor,” Mr. Unruh said. “Also a lot of dead spots; dead spots being places in the floor that can no longer allow the ball to bounce when trying to dribble. It comes from what is underneath the floor.”

There were both cosmetic and practical athletic issues that needed to be fixed and updated newly. “The projects began during fall break and are still being finished,” Mr. Unruh said.

“The floor is finished, that was the easiest part. The timetable for that was for it to be completed by the start of basketball season.”

While the renovations take time Mr. Unruh says he believes the students and community will be excited fabout the outcome

“The players spend so much time in the locker room that is becomes a place they look forward to,” Coach Shannon said. “They have ownership of it and what they take from that gives them a sense of pride of belonging to the family and the family is our basketball team.”

It gives more pride to the boys basketball team Coach Shannon says that having more pride in theprogram may in turn help playinga little better.

“The girls basketball team is excited about the new look to the floor and the facilities in general, Head Girls Basketball Coach Tammy Geron said. “I think this team in particular will feel more pride for our team and athletics since they have witnessed the changes. It gives you a boost in moral and spirit, which hopefully will translate to additional energy on the playing floor.”