Some FHS student athletes and coaches believe that Freeport High School athletic facilities are lagging behind other NIC-10 schools and it’s impacting how our teams perform.
“You know we are behind when it comes to facilities we are behind because of lack of space,” Head Football Coach Anthony Dedmond said. “Other teams have plenty of spaces. They have great facilities and are able to train all year. That is a big problem with us. That definitely handicaps us.”
“Sometimes when you walk into other schools and you see a lot of their facilities and see that they have a lot nicer things than what we have,” Head Girls Varsity Basketball Coach John O’Bryan said. “We just got to do what we need to do on our end not only as a staff but athletes as well to help build up our facilities and keep them the best that we possibly can.”
According to some students and staff, there are pros and cons to our facilities compared to the other nine schools FHS plays.
“We’re very fortunate that we have two gyms in our building, so we’re able to host some tournaments in there,” Athletic Director Brad Pemberton said. “A lot of schools our size and smaller may not have that opportunity afforded to them. I think we have great facilities, but there’s always room for improvement.”
“Our courts are mad dusty,” basketball player Jasani Thomas said. “You pivot the wrong way and you’re sliding across the courts. Don’t get me started when you jump and you land and slip.”
“I would say our track sucks,” runner Zaniyah Gilbert said. “When you run, your spikes get so dull so fast.”
“Our basketball jerseys have better material and our courts have more grip with shoes than other schools,” basketball player Isaiah Johnson said.
Specifically, coaches are looking to add more space so they can practice throughout the year. One popular upgrade for many coaches is a field house.
“Realistically, we do see a lot of programs that do have fieldhouses and we don’t, but we find a way to make it work,” O’Bryan said. “Out here, we don’t make an excuse for anything why it stops us to be able to be as great as we want to be.”
“For the girls wrestling team, we had to use different equipment than other girls team. They had more equipment than we had because we didn’t have an official girls team yet, so we had to use all the boys equipment and we don’t have an official wrestling room just because our team isn’t as expanded as other schools,” wrestler Vanesa Penaloza said.
FHS has had some recent updates like the swimming pool and new turf. Pemberton hopes more will come.