Renovations to the TJ Gymnasium are planned to be completed by Winter Break.
Improvements on gym to be made during Winter Vacation. Photo by Abby Montgomery
Over the summer, construction workers toiled in the TJ gymnasium in order to create a beautiful new gym for Spartans to use and enjoy for the 2011-2012 school year, as well as for many years to come; however, they still have some work to do on the gym floor that will be completed over Winter Break.
“The old gym floor was uneven and had all kinds of warps in it, which made it quite difficult during volleyball and basketball season. The bleachers were 55 years old, and extremely unsafe, so it was time to upgrade,” said Varsity Basketball Coach Grant Laman.
Construction took place all summer, and although administrators were pleased with the new bleachers and floors that had been put in, workers still did not have enough time to fully complete the new gymnasium in time while still maintaining a high quality of work. Important components were also left out, as legal lines for volleyball were also overlooked while painting the new floor.
The problems with the new gym will be fixed during the two weeks students and faculty have off for Winter Break in December and January. During this time, workers will repaint the floor and add in the missing legal lines. “It will basically be exactly like what we see now, except we’re going to add the volleyball lines,” said Laman. This way the construction will not conflict with the volleyball team now, or with – the girls’ and boys’ basketball season in the winter. For now, the Girls’ Volleyball team will just use tape to cover where their lines should be.
Aside from the minor paint job mistakes, Laman says the new gym is looking better than ever. “The new floor has a different feel than before, since the old floor was so old, it’ll take some time getting used to,” said Laman.
Those most excited about the new gym are of course the volleyball and basketball players. “I really like the new floor; you just have to get used to the feel, since it’s new. It’s awesome though; it feels just like the Nuggets court and is amazing to play on!” said Senior Boys’ Basketball Center Nate Brewer.
Once the work over Winter Break is completed, the TJ Gym should not only feel like a professional sports venue, but also it will look better than ever. The work done on the gym this year will be beneficial to Thomas Jefferson High School for many years to come. “I am so excited for the new gym,” said another star basketball player and Point Guard Ashley Berry. “It’ll give us a chance for a fresh start to begin a new legacy towards a winning basketball season.”
