Sarah Atkins
mnjreporter@gmail.com
As excitement surrounding the opening of the new school building in Ledger reaches its peak, many are beginning to wonder what comes next.
As it turns out, a new student athletic complex will break ground on June 17. Along with plans for the new athletic complex are plans for a new softball field, a road to go behind Mitchell High School for bus pickup and drop off, and various projects to improve the track and baseball field.
Vannoy Construction, the same company that was contracted to build the new third- through eighth-grade school, will also be completing the athletic complex project. Tanner Winchester, project manager for the upcoming athletic complex project believes that “it will be a great project and will be great for the county.”
The entire complex is expected to be completed within a year of breaking ground with the building expected to be finished late this fall and the softball field hopefully ready for the next season in the spring of 2025.
The complex has been fully funded by a $14.5 million grant. KC Electric, a local Mitchell County business, won the bid to complete electrical work on the athletic complex.
Mitchell County Schools Superintendent Chad Calhoun says he is “glad to see local people win bids” for the projects Mitchell County Schools has been working on.
Calhoun stated that past superintendents have been hoping and planning to construct an athletic complex for around 20 years but that they have been working hard to get funding for the project within the past five years.
One of the main reasons for constructing the athletic complex is to increase safety for student-athletes during basketball season. These safety concerns mainly surround the fact that basketball practices often end up running late into the night due to having limited space for the boys’ and girls’ teams to practice in. In the past, this has caused students to have to drive home as late as 11 p.m. in variable mountain weather.
The athletic complex will include an indoor practice field of 30 yards for football, a basketball court, a golf simulator, a wrestling area, drop-down baseball nets, and a weight room. This will allow many sports teams as well as school bands to utilize the space and practice rain or shine.
Any middle or high school student will also be able to use the space during open gym events or when areas have not been scheduled for use. The complex will also have restrooms and an area for concessions that can be used in the case of hosting tournaments.
Travise Pittman, Mitchell High School Athletic Director, has worked alongside Calhoun to ensure that the design of the new student athletic complex will be functional for many programs and for years to come. This facility will allow students to practice more regularly and with modern technology that will help them develop their skills to rise to a new level in their programs.