Delay Prolongs Period Of Displacement For NHS Athletes

By Sarah Walton

When Newtown High School Principal Charles Dumais learned on Wednesday, October 13, the NHS track and playing field at Blue and Gold Stadium will not be usable until roughly November 5, the information added another piece to a scheduling puzzle that has existed since the NHS expansion and renovation project broke ground in May 2009.

The project includes a new track and switch from grass to turf on the field.

Since the project’s start, as Athletic Director Gregg Simon told The Bee this week, people have been opening doors to accommodate Newtown’s high school athletes, and he holds much appreciation for this.

On Tuesday, Dumais said the school is still expecting to take ownership of the track and field on November 5, and will have complete use of it then.

One upcoming event affected by the news is this weekend’s varsity football team’s previously scheduled home opener on October 22 versus Bunnell High of Stratford. The event has been moved to Pomperaug High in Southbury for the same day. Kickoff is at 7 pm.

Sports teams are not the only displaced track and field users. Last weekend the NHS Marching Band and Guard’s annual home show was moved to Danbury High School, where Bethel High School already had a show scheduled.

In a blog post on Wednesday, Dumais announced the delay in the completion of the track surface pushes the date the high school will again take ownership of the stadium. As Dumais explained, this means school events, such as athletic contests and homecoming, cannot take place on the field until the stadium project is completed.

With the completion date for the NHS expansion portion on the horizon, and the renovation slated for completion in January, Simon told The Bee this week how sports teams have been handling the displacement since the start of the project.

“NYA has been awesome working with us,” he said of the Newtown Youth Academy, which has hosted practices for freshman volleyball this season. According to Simon, a shuttle transports the students to the facility immediately after school, allowing for a regular practice time.

The varsity and junior varsity volleyball teams also practice in the gym at Reed Intermediate School beginning at 5 pm. Simon said Reed Intermediate School does not charge for the use of their facility.

“Some students prefer going home, getting work done, then coming to practice, others would rather go right after school,” Simon said. “They just have to make do.”

Oxford High School has also allowed the girls’ swim team to use its pool free of charge, according to Simon.

“I called around looking for a newer pool with a team that was small,” he said. The girls on the team must attend a study hall from 2 to 3 pm, then board a shuttle to Oxford. “Oxford High School went out of their way to help us.”

Simon said the cheerleaders must board a shuttle to Vasi’s Gym in Newtown for their practices.

“It was critical to put them somewhere safe, with plenty of space and mats,” Simon said.

The dance team travels to Dance Etc, also via shuttle. Dance Etc, according to Simon, has been understanding of the team’s needs.

Simon said there are multiple challenges for the football team. Auto shop teacher and football coach Steve George said the football players use the auto shop at the high school in place of a locker room.

“They store their equipment in the auditorium during the day,” George said.

Pomperaug High School hosted the varsity team’s home game on September 17, and as of last week the remaining games were scheduled to be at Blue and Gold Stadium, according to the schedule posted online. Simon was unaware of the next available use of the field.

“It’s up in the air. There are still factors to be determined,” he said. “But the league adjusted the schedule so the last four or five weeks could be played in the Blue and Gold Stadium.”

According to Simon, the cost of transporting students was taken into consideration last spring at the beginning of construction.

“There was a large cost involved, but the facilities were generous in opening their doors to us,” he said. Simon added that Newtown allows the use of its facilities, should another school need them. “That’s the way it is, these things happen. Winter sports though, that’s a different story.”

The gym is expected to be complete by November 22, the first day of girls’ basketball tryouts, according to Simon.