The student news site of Greater Latrobe High School

The High Post

The student news site of Greater Latrobe High School

The High Post

The student news site of Greater Latrobe High School

The High Post

Finalizing the Masterpiece

Looking+out+onto+the+new+complex+where+the+new+field+will+be.+Obviously+not+completed+but+the+turf+will+be+getting+laid+very+soon.
Looking out onto the new complex where the new field will be. Obviously not completed but the turf will be getting laid very soon.
Looking out onto the new complex where the new field will be. Obviously not completed but the turf will be getting laid very soon.
Looking out onto the new complex where the new field will be. Obviously not completed but the turf will be getting laid very soon.

It all started with an idea a little over a year ago, now with 2013 winding down Latrobe’s stateoftheart multi-million dollar sports complex is just about completed. Kurt Thomas, the clerk of works and mastermind of the project, spoke to me and gave me an overview of the final steps and showed me what is left.

The field house will consist of locker rooms, showers, restrooms, weight room, and a team room (auxiliary gym/film room). The lower level will have a weight room, that will take up most of the space. It will be surrounded by 2 large locker rooms that can be split into 4 locker rooms.

The upper level of the field house will have a large classroom like a team room, and like the basement level, it too will be surrounded by locker rooms as well. The team room will have a lot of space used for multi functions like team meetings and additional team workouts.

The outside by the Junior High is the unfinished projects that we, at the high school, can’t really see the progress. They currently are working on the multi purpose field, putting green, and basketball court.

On the multi purpose field will be a baseball field to your left (looking at the treeline) and softball field to your right. Those fields will clash together so two games can’t go on at once. Although, there will be a fence for left field, for baseball, and a right field fence, for softball. In addition the fields will have batting cages and bullpens. All sports will be able to play within the baseball and softball fields and all lines will be painted for every sport during their seasons also. The playing field will have synthetic turf, which means it will be like a carpet. No grass, no dirt. Although, for ball fields, the dirt will just be colored like dirt.

Right beside the softball field, closest to the Junior High parking lot will be putting green golf and beside that will be a basketball court.

Parking really shouldn’t be an issue for events. Parking will be open at the Junior High and all Senior High lots for the public. In relation to that, the pedestrian walkway that gets you to tennis courts, main field to the multi purpose fields will be easy access to each part of the facility so it won’t be an issue where you park to get to a certain place on time.

Concession and press box consists of three small buildings. Restrooms will surround the press box. You can access the press box from the school side from the pedestrian walkway or from field side so you can still watch the game thats going on.

As mentioned, the pedestrian walkway will be very beneficial for multi events for games going on at either field and for concession aspect of things, it will be open for public and a short walk with that walkway, to concession stand.

The scoreboards are now installed on each field along with the lights and Thomas said that  The turf will be getting laid later this month, which he said is “very exciting”. It understandable he’s excited, considering this will be one of the final steps of the year long project.

Varsity head baseball coach and teacher Matt Basciano has seen most of the progress of the complex everyday by looking out his window on the side of the high school.

“The new sports complex project is really coming along. I am shocked at how fast it is moving! It has really been interesting looking out my window and watching them prepare for the turf, then the turf being down, the foundation being dug, the the press box and field house up. I think the biggest thing for me was seeing that turf down, and then the teams on it.  hat was great watching the practices and games under the lights!”

“I am also amazed at the press box and field house. They are huge!  I think once the entire complex is done it is going to be one of, if not the best sports complexes in the WPIAL and possibly the state!

As the complex is finishing up, players and coaches are eager to get out on the new field. Jessie Kostic, a standout on the school’s girls lacrosse team last season is excited about playing on the new field and not dealing with the past issues on the old field. “We’re excited. We normally practice on a swamp, and we didn’t even have a full field so it’s a big upgrade. The turf actually has lacrosse field lines and on top of that people got injured from the field being so uneven. So we’re really excited to play on a real turf field every day.”

Players aren’t the only ones excited to get on the new field. Coaches are allowed to be eager, like the athletes, to get their teams out on the new field, like Mr. Basciano. He also says, “As exciting as it is to see all this out my window, I am really anxious to see the other field. With the possibility of playing baseball on an all turf field and under the lights, I can’t wait! It’s hard for me with the anticipation building and not being able to see the progress daily out my window. I feel like my kids waiting for Christmas!”

There haven’t been any issues getting field to field since it is behind the schools and so they don’t have to deal with pedestrians or vehicles. Thomas also mentioned, weather might be the only the issue finishing on time but the contract deadline is up by the first of the year.

Plenty of memories will be made here at this complex; championships will be won, players will be become legends, history will be made here.

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