By Dan Hardenbrook
One of Newberry High School’s main athletic facilities will get a facelift when the J.L. DeCook Gymnasium receives a newly remodeled floor and playing surface later this summer.
The gym’s basketball and volleyball courts will be redesigned and painted, offering a new layout to enhance the playing and viewing experience while also setting the school up to host volleyball tournaments.
The major upgrade to the gymnasium is the latest change to athletic facilities led by Newberry Athletic Director Anthony Kitzman. While Kitzman’s proposed rebuild of the school’s track continues to gain support, he has worked behind the scenes to upgrade the gym—one of the few places inside the school that the community sees and sometimes even uses.
“The gym is really the centerpiece of our school when it comes to what the community sees and experiences,” Kitzman said. “We want to continue looking at ways to make any needed upgrades or enhance our facilities because they are such a big part of the town and our school. Our gym has desperately needed improvements for a long time, and thanks to the community support for athletics, we are able to make this happen.”
Not only the host for home volleyball and basketball games, the gym is used by all of the district’s physical education classes for grades K-12. The J.L. DeCook Gymnasium also hosts graduation, and local organizations use the facility for fundraisers, community events, and gatherings.
Soon the historic Bystrom Auditorium in the high school will be closed, and the gym will most likely hold musical performances, assemblies, and larger community meetings when needed. “Anytime you are bringing people in from the community or other schools are attending for events, you want and need a place to be proud of,” Kitzman said. “This is an area that we can use to continue to show our pride, and that Newberry is a great place. With the potential increase in traffic and use of the facility, we needed to make something happen ASAP.”
Kitzman worked closely with a professional company on a new design, layout, and flooring. The complete remodel, including new wood for the court, came in at a cost of $36,250, which Kitzman fundraised on his own. He received a $20,000 pledge from the Tahquamenon Area Senior Citizens, and through other donations and fundraisers, gathered funding for the remaining cost. The floor company begins the project later this month, and work is expected to be complete by the start of school this fall.
The gym floor was remodeled following the 2003-2004 school year, and the two decades of wear and tear has taken its toll. The high amount of foot traffic has worn the surface down to almost nothing. Grooves and scratches in the floor can be felt. The surface is often slick, and buildup of dirt and dust makes it difficult to play on. Many athletes and teams do not like playing in Newberry’s gym because the surface can put athletes at a higher risk of slipping or getting injured. Multiple players have suffered severe knee injuries during home games.
The volleyball program has also struggled with the gym. Port holes for their net system didn’t always fit or close properly, and the volleyball court lines were off centered, always forcing one to serve and play with their backs literally against a wall. The other team had a third of the gym floor behind them and plenty of extra, playable space.
Fans have been frustrated, too, because half the bleachers do not line up with the volleyball court, making it more difficult to watch games, and coaches can’t get a central shot for the game and practice film.
The volleyball court floor design also makes it impossible for the school to host tournaments and invitationals, which is a potential loss in revenue for the athletic department.
Because the boundaries and lines from both the practice and game courts for basketball overlap the volleyball court lines, athletes and coaches in both sports often get confused.
Under Kitzman’s design, the main court will be centered and clearly defined for both basketball and volleyball, and two side-by-side courts will run north and south. That will allow the gym to be split in half while offering space for multi-game tournaments and events, or enabling teams that share practice times to operate simultaneously.
