DAVENPORT, Iowa — After more than a year of construction, Davenport students have new facilities to exercise and compete in. The addition to West High School's athletic facilities was revealed on Thursday, Nov. 14.
For junior Camden Green, the most exciting part is a second gym. He said limited gym space was a problem when the boys' and girls' basketball teams had to practice.
"Last year sometimes, girls and boys, we couldn’t practice because we only had one gym and the Y would be taken up, so some days we just wouldn’t be able to practice," Green said. "So it’ll help us out a lot."
Something else that will help athletes — a new weight room.
Senior Lilli Gustaf does swimming and track. She spends a lot of time in the weight room, and said she hopes the new facilities will encourage more students to compete in sports.
"I would definitely say it’s bigger, and a lot of our equipment, well, all of our equipment is new basically, so I’m really excited for that," Gustaf said.
She said it was encouraging to see this kind of investment in the school.
"My first thought is 'wow, this is really nice,'" Gustaf said. "It really exceeded my expectations, so I’m really excited to get in here and put in the work."
Strength and conditioning coach Blaine Parketon is excited to help students do that work.
"I’ve been a strength coach for 25 years, and I’ve done collegiate and I’ve done high school, and this is by far the best high school facility I’ve been a part of," Parketon said.
Compared to the old weight room in the basement, Parketon said he and the other coach can train more students than ever.
"With the facilities we have and the space we have and the equipment, we'll just have a broader range of tools to use for the athletes," Parketon said.
For him, the upgrades are a sign of the district's dedication to its students.
"I mean it shows they want to invest in our kids, and they know they're the next generation. That's gonna be our community members, and this is gonna be their home," Parketon said.
The upgrade also includes a new wrestling room and volleyball courts.
But the district isn't done building. Construction on a new Sudlow Middle School will start in early December, followed by a new F.L. Smart Middle School starting this spring.
Sarah Ott, director of community engagement, said the district wants to give students the facilities they need to compete at a high level.
"This is just the first project of many, and we could not be more excited about the investment we're making in our facilities for our students," Ott said.
North High School will also get new science classrooms, and all of Davenport's high schools are getting turf fields.