Bad track record: Track destruction disrupts spring sports
Students wait while construction continues on the track, which started in early April. Student athletes grow tired of dealing with the constant schedule changes throughout the spring sport season. “They tried to schedule everything around the track being built, earlier they scheduled all our home games back to back to back and then later on in the season all of the games were scheduled to be away,” junior and soccer team captain Josh Labus said.
April 24, 2018
In an effort to ready the field for the 2018 football season, NC waved goodbye to its old and well-loved track. Normally, receiving a new track would excite all who use it, but the timing of the new construction has interfered with sports games, classes, and spring sports.
“The distance runners stay here [at NC] because we have the trails to run on, but half of them got torn down for the gym, we use the ones we have left. The sprinters are having to go to Kennesaw Mountain on a bus everyday and get there around 4:30 and practice until around 6. They still have to go home too,” junior and long distance runner Rebekah Geil said.
Track season saw a halt after the construction of the new gym began. Everyday, the track team takes a bus to Kennesaw Mountain High School to practice. Practice now lasts until almost seven on school nights because of the long drive to Kennesaw Mountain.
In addition to track and field’s forced relocation, the soccer team moved their games to Adams Park, which also recently started their own construction, forcing NC to cancel the “home” soccer match on April 19. Due to poor timing and game relocations, the soccer season came to an early finish.
“Since the track has been torn up, we have had to move our home games to Adams Park. It has made us a second priority for the other teams [in the district], and now, because it’s being torn up, we can’t even play there,” junior and soccer team captain Josh Labus said.
Frustrated soccer players and track runners said goodbye to their seasons, wishing the seasons ended on better terms. NC’s sports teams struggle to find places to practice, play, and participate and it hurts both team morale and motivation.
“This season just stopped, and it was kinda disappointing because we were all looking forward to that [final] game,” Labus said.
Both track and soccer seasons came to a swift close this month, but the teams will return next year to a brand new track and field. The returning students hope the track will make up for their season ending in turmoil and provide motivation for next year.
