Smiths Station High School unveils new indoor practice facility. See what’s inside
Smiths Station High School celebrated the opening of its new Indoor MultiPurpose Athletics Complex (IMPAC) on Friday with a program and ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The IMPAC is a regulation, multipurpose and covered artificial-turf field at the high school next to the Godwin Field House.
Blair Harrison, head football coach at Smiths Station, said the new facility is a great step for the football program and the school.
“Obviously, there’s going to be other sports using this facility, but it also helps us,” Harrison said. “We should never miss another practice. We always are going to have lines down. I mean, it’s just a great, great tool to have in your toolbox to try to be the best football program we can be.”
Mike Howard, superintendent of Lee County Schools, told the crowd, “It’s an amazing opportunity for our student athletes and just our students and our community to be able to come in this, to be able to enjoy.”
Howard said the facility can be used by everyone. He pointed out baseball and softball nets that drop down so players can hit in batting cages.
“The color guard’s already used it,” he said, “I mean, this thing will be used pretty much every day I see from here on out, and that’s a great thing.”
Howard also announced the school board has approved the second phase of this project. As he did so, SSHS athletics director Bryan Eason turned around a sign, unveiling a schematic showing the proposal.
Howard told the crowd the next phase will comprise a new athletics facility with a weight room large enough to put two wrestling mats down at that same time, weight equipment around the inside and outside of it, male and female locker rooms, a concession area and a teacher training area.
Hayden Suggs, a standout athlete at Smiths Station, was called from the crowd by SSHS principal Adam Johnson to join school and community leaders in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Suggs described the opening of the new facility as a milestone.
“ I never thought Smiths Station would be able to grow as much as it has, and in my four years here we have made major improvements,” she said, “and it’s just very exciting to see what the future holds.”
