Schools unveil new fitness center

Apr 26, 2024

New flooring was installed as part of the creation of the fitness center.

The new fitness center contains a variety of athletic equipment.

When athletes return to school this month, they’ll have a new fitness center to train at.

Last month, the school board unveiled the new Madison County Public Schools Fitness Center. The center was created in the former gym and cafeteria space at the school board office. Previously used for storage, the space was converted using an approximately $330,000 ESSER grant which also allowed for a new roof and HVAC systems. Plans for the fitness center were first discussed in 2019 with the grant received in late 2022. The actual work happened in late spring with new flooring, turf and the installation of a variety of fitness equipment.

“We were able to revive [the space] and make use of it,” superintendent Anna Graham said. “This will be for our girls and boys sports to get stronger and become better athletes.”

The fitness center is just the beginning of what’s to come as other athletic facility improvements are needed. School board member Christopher Wingate said he met with high school principal Betty-Jo Wynham and activities director Tim Tryon to determine what the needs are. Wingate said the needs are non-capital improvement project items. They include a commercial washer and dryer at the field house; a bathroom renovation at the field house; repair and restoration of the baseball batting cage; additional athletic training equipment; beautification of the track area; an indoor batting cage for baseball and softball; baseball dugout repairs and painting; beautification of the baseball press box; new ice machines; new fencing, gates, signs and landscaping around the football and baseball stadium and a new sound system in the Wetsel Middle School Gym.

“Right now, coaches sometimes take home uniforms to wash them,” Wingate said. “In the batting cage, balls escape. The track is not real attractive. The bathrooms are not very nice to welcome visitors.”

The items identified total more than $100,000.

Wingate said he’d like to see if there’s an appetite for raising money to fund the list.

“I’d like to think about private funding to try to make athletic facilities better,” he said. “In general, we have some of the worst in the district.”

School board member Greg Martz said there’s definitely community interest in improving the school division’s athletic facilities. Wingate said he’d like to host a meeting this month to discuss the possibilities. No date has been set as of yet.

Meanwhile, some athletic improvements have been made. The junior varsity teams now have lockers and the field house had new LED lighting.

“It’s much brighter,” Wingate said.

Two future improvements are also on the county and schools’ joint CIP list—improvements to the track and field area and bleacher replacements in the Wetsel gymnasium.

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