Sports Plaza completion brings community together

As students entered the football stadium on Sept. 5, they were met with a massive, fire engine red “Home of the Falcons” sign and a large gold-stained falcon on the ground. Cobalt “Falcons Forever” lettering greeted the crowd streaming into the field, hands full of snacks from vendors in the two new buildings nearby.

Completed just before graduation last year, the Sports Plaza is now the main entrance of countless sporting events. The Plaza was the culmination of more than two years of extensive planning and fundraising that started when the SHS Foundation and alumni got together and decided the old ticket booth was something the school needed to fix.

Construction officially began in February, and what had been a mere idea became reality in June. The attainment of funding for the $1.325 million project came entirely from donations.

“The foundation was to build something nice for everyone involved in the school,” principal Paul Robinson said.

The Plaza offers an improved experience for spectators. Previously, stadium visitors could only use a small bathroom, and snacks were sold at pop-up tents that needed bulky, intense lighting. Visitors can now use updated bathrooms and a snack bar that has refrigerators. During football games, an area for Sports Boosters will open to sell Falcon merchandise, such as sweatshirts and T-shirts.

Athletic director Tim Lugo believes the Sports Plaza is a necessity.

“The Sports Plaza is a much needed finish to our stadium,” Lugo said “We were in violation of OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Standards] code by not having enough restrooms for the number of people attending sporting events.”

Robinson said the architects who designed the plaza aimed to find a balance with the similarly modern McAfee Center and the traditional school buildings within the school itself.   

Following the designers’ vision for a state-of-the-art plaza, LED lights were installed on the “Home of the Falcons” sign stretching across the plaza. The LED lights enable better energy efficiency.

Although the 4-month construction of the Sports Plaza may have seemed straightforward, unforeseen complications occurred during the process. Construction workers juggled delays caused by undependable weather and looming deadlines. They also discovered that the water pipes underneath the plaza had multiple cracks and leaks. This required quick repair on the part of the school.

For their part, most students seem to have received the Sports Plaza warmly.

“Since our turf and track area are fairly new, it really makes the area look even better,” sophomore Kirthana Ramesh said. “Also, I think it is very convenient [that] a water refill station and water fountain is set up there.”

According to Robinson, the Sports Plaza has also become a symbol of the community togetherness.

“I remember one time I saw the entire football team sitting and gathering in the Plaza while waiting to go to a game,” he said. “That to me identified what [the Plaza] was for, a place for people to come together and meet.”