By Luke Dinkel

Sports are a huge part of a high school experience, whether students are playing or watching a football game. Besides hockey, golf, bowling and swimming, all school sports practice on a facility owned by the school district.

What do students think about the quality of the facilities? Do coaches feel that their team is able to exercise their full abilities on these facilities?

The tennis courts seem to be the worst off.

“The courts were shut down one week prior to the start of the boys’ spring season in 2020,” Tennis Coach Mr. Christopher Gazze said. “They repaired cracks on two of the courts with concrete at the very end of the girls’ fall 2021 season, but we can only practice on them, not play matches. Two of the courts are unplayable for both games and practices.”

Since the team cannot play on the school’s facility, they are forced to play somewhere else.

“The team has to play at the Greensburg Racquet Club,” Mr. Gazze said.

Other teams have been affected by poor facilities; one specifically that doesn’t require much but a safe trail to run on.

“We have not been able to run on our trails,” junior Ashlan Price said. “It has been too muddy and has not been cleared out in a long time. It has become a hazard and is dangerous for our ankles.”

Some other students are concerned about injuries that can occur due to where they practice.

“I think it would be very beneficial for the soccer facility to be improved an expanded upon,” senior Landon Morrison said. “There are times that we have to be careful of injury due to the conditions of the field.”

Players have their own ideas on what to change.

“We only have two benches to sit on at the field,” Morrison said. “One of the benches has one leg and tips if you sit on that side. The field needs to be smoothed out since rolling ankles is a big concern for our team. The lines on the outside need to be redone since they are hard to see. I think that the grass needs cut on the field and around the net, and in some spots, there are just random patches of dirt.”

With the tennis courts remaining unplayable, players are wondering if the school board is planning to have them repaired anytime soon.

“At this time the board has nothing planned,” Athletic Director Mr. Frank Sundry said. “There is an open discussion about doing something with the courts, but nothing has been officially planned. We do hold district facility meetings at the beginning of every month to discuss improvements, and they are open to the public.”

Students are wondering if some of our facilities are becoming hazardous and are being cared for.

“I’m not entirely sure,” Mr. Sundry said. “I believe that the soccer practice field being located at the bottom of a hill leads to that drainage issue when it rains. The Greensburg Salem maintenance department cuts and takes care of the field and the cross-country trails. Coach Snider will go out before their meets and will paint lines.”

Many believe that not every facility needs some renovations.

“I believe that some of our facilities such as Offutt Field and our weight room rank up with bigger schools,” Sundry said. “I do think that other facilities’ at GS are in need of a facelift to improve our facilities’ footprint.”