Harrison's New Gym

[bluegrassboy75]

I read where Harrison is building a new high school gym.  Has anyone seen drawings on what the new gym will look like?

[Go Postal]

I went by the other day and all the construction seemed to go pretty good.  Remember that we are also building additions to the High School and Middle School to move the Junior High over to the same area of those schools and the Football/Soccer/Track Stadium.  Historic Baker Prairie on Goblin Drive is starting to look like a very nice academic and sports complex.  Add to that the Cross Country track, Baseball complex and the other Soccer complex in town has Harrison starting to look very much like a very nice up to date sports town.  I couldn't find any pictures of the proposed gym, but I found this article in the paper from Aug 6, 2014...

COMPETING IN THE GYM RACE; COMPARING HARRISON TO 5A WEST FOES
Supporters of the proposed millage increase say that a new gymnasium would allow Harrison to bid on much-coveted state tournaments and provide needed space for physical education classes and athletic practices.
Ed Sellers has a different take on a new gym.
"It would keep dirty feet off your good floor," said the Villonia athletic director and assistant superintendent.
The proposed 4.9 mil increase, being decided on Sept.16, would fund the addition of classrooms at the High School and middle school in order to move Junior High students from what school officials say is an out-of-date and inadequate school. In addition, a new gymnasium/fine arts center would be constructed.
According to the Arkansas Activities Association, in order to get regional and state tournaments, a 5A Conference school must have a gym that seats at least 2,000 people. A spokesman at the AAA said that tournament assignments here would probably go to North Arkansas College.
Harrison athletic director Chris Pratt estimated the capacity of the current Harrison High School gym at 1,600 to 1,800.
Pratt went on to say that Harrison has three gyms available for athletic events and P.E. classes. In addition to the high school, there is a gym at Harrison Junior High School. It is currently getting a new roof, and Pratt joked that personnel would no longer have to place garbage cans under leaks to catch the water. There is also a smaller gym at Harrison Middle School.
According to Pratt, the lack of good facilities can have an effect on scheduling.
"We scramble every year for P.E. classes and athletic practice facilities," he said. "It's a struggle."
How does Harrison currently compare with other 5A West schools in terms of gymnasium facilities? Calls were made to superintendents and athletic directors. While many were unavailable during the summer break, a few did respond, including Sellers.
Like Harrison, Vilonia has a gym that is too small (1,600 seating capacity) for state tournaments. However, Sellers said, the district does have enough gyms for P.E. classes and practices. In addition to the main gym, there are four other floors available for use.
Sellers had one criticism of Harrison's current gym. Fans and players all exit off of the basketball floor, and Sellers said that mingling, perhaps after an emotional, hotly contested game, is "asking for trouble."
Sellers liked the architect's plan for Harrison's new gym, where the players exit on one level and the general public on a different level. He likes that separation of players and fans.
"You have to keep hostile people away from each other," Sellers said.
Keeping the public off the floor also was behind Sellers' comment about the dirty feet.
Greenbrier Superintendent Scott Spainhour said his district has four full-size basketball courts, two at the junior high and two at the high school, including the 2,500-seat main court. All continually got a work-out, according to Spainhour.
"Ours are full all the time," he said.
Spainhour thought Harrison was on the right track with its proposals.
"Sounds like a good plan," he said. "I wish them luck."
Alma has all the qualifications needed for a state tournament, at least in regard to seating capacity. According to Superintendent David Woolly, Alma's can seat 3,300, second in the state only to Conway, he thought.
That's not the only gym that Alma has.
"We went from gym poor to gym rich," Woolly said.
He went on to explain that there is the old gym that was replaced by the massive new one. The old gym is now used by freshmen. Another gym is used by P.E. classes everyday.
The district also constructed a tornado shelter/safe room, which has a full basketball court. Harrison's plans also call for a safe room to be constructed next to the middle school. It will have a full-size basketball court.
"We now have room for everyone," Woolly said.
The presence of the new gym plus the safe room gym allow both the boys and girls basketball teams to practice after school. Before, Woolly said, one team had to practice before school.
According to Woolly, the number of gyms allow for practices without having to miss classes.
"We did it for academic reasons as much as athletic reasons," Woolly said.
Maumelle, which has moved up from 4A, has two gyms at the high school. The main one, which is four years old, has a seating capacity of 2,200, according to athletic director Sherman Cox. There is also an auxiliary gym, which can seat 400.
There are some nights, Cox said, when there is a basketball game in the main gym and a wrestling meet in the auxiliary gym. However, he won't allow anything in the main gym, but athletic events. The auxiliary gym is reserved for physical education classes.

[theflash10]

Trying to get a picture up of the new arena.

[sevenof400]

I read where Harrison is building a new high school gym.  Has anyone seen drawings on what the new gym will look like?

I'm sure the corners will be rounded......(it may be the case that only AT gets that reference....)

[Go Postal]

Here is what was in the paper today about the last game in LT's Court (The Spook House).


This is a screen shot of the packed gym for the last game (2/17/2017).


The Lady Goblins (18-6)(11-1) won their last game in the gym 50-45 and the Goblins (21-4)(12-0) won their last game in the gym 81-55 as shown in the screen shot below..


Both Lady Goblins and Goblins ended their regular 2017 season as the CCD-1 Champions.

[Ponca]

I'm sure the corners will be rounded......(it may be the case that only AT gets that reference....)

considering the money spent. It sucks. It's embarrassing actually.

[theflash10]

considering the money spent. It sucks. It's embarrassing actually.

Ponca what are your issues with the arena? Mine would really only be they could've fit at least one more goal on each sideline for practices. It's interesting that they stayed with fold up goals as the main baskets. It's going to be a lot more comfortable to sit in though.

[Ponca]

Ponca what are your issues with the arena? Mine would really only be they could've fit at least one more goal on each sideline for practices. It's interesting that they stayed with fold up goals as the main baskets. It's going to be a lot more comfortable to sit in though.

It just looks cheap. You can see the corners cutted. The space isn't even maximized.

[Ponca]

Ponca what are your issues with the arena? Mine would really only be they could've fit at least one more goal on each sideline for practices. It's interesting that they stayed with fold up goals as the main baskets. It's going to be a lot more comfortable to sit in though.

It looks like Fayetteville's Auxiliary Gym.

[Ponca]

Help me on this list. Best arenas in Arkansas. My opinion of places I've been to. (So if I left yours out it means I haven't been there)

1. Bud Walton
2. Verizon
3. Alma
4. Stephens Center
5. Hot Springs Convention Center
6. Fayetteville
7. Conway
8. Pine Bluff Convention Center
9. Greenbrier
10. Farmington
11. Jessieville
12. Imboden
13. Greene County Tech

If you build a new arena with millions of dollars, don't you try to make the list?

[Ponca]

And if anyone says Tucker at Arkansas Tech, I'm gonna slap you. That place is dreadful.

[Ponca]

I need to put Pine Bluff in there. Above Greenbrier.

[theflash10]

I need to put Pine Bluff in there. Above Greenbrier.

Tucker is an interesting layout and would be fun if there was fan participation to fill it, but definitely not one of the best. Siloam's is pretty neat. I would probably put several ahead of Jessieville like Cabot, Siloam, Valley View, Nashville, and maybe even Charleston and Clinton. I like the lower level floor seating with the pull out bleachers Harrison has like Fayetteville and the second level separated. The cut outs in the corner are a little odd but add some character.

[theflash10]

Rhodes Fieldhouse at Harding would have to be one of the most exciting places and history rich places in the state to watch.

[sevenof400]

I can't see the love for Greenbrier's gym for two reasons - the seats are some of the worst quality I've ever sat on and when your ceiling looks like the result of a zit explosion it really isn't very appealing. On a more useful note about Greenbrier's gym, the sight lines are horrible (as the pitch is too shallow) and the seat orientation is off as well.

[Magic Man]

Beebe is pretty nice.   It has been there a few years now but it has been kept up well.  They recently added air conditioning.   I would put about all of them ahead of PB Convention Center. 

[Central Ark]

Lake Hamilton is right there with Alma. And Russellville isn't far behind. Both are better than Conway I know for sure.

[theflash10]

Lake Hamilton is right there with Alma. And Russellville isn't far behind. Both are better than Conway I know for sure.

Russellville's is nice, I meant to include that one.

[Elvis Hoggoblin]

It looks like Fayetteville's Auxiliary Gym.

Ponca/Doc

Not at all.
I toured the new Goblin Arena twice last week, it is very nice.  Could and Should be nicer, yes.  Had the powers that be had enough faith in our community they would have proposed a larger bond issue and we could have something like Russellville.

[sevenof400]

Beebe is pretty nice.   It has been there a few years now but it has been kept up well.  They recently added air conditioning.   I would put about all of them ahead of PB Convention Center.

Beebe does have one significant design flaw that I hope other arenas have or will avoid - the pitch of the rows is too shallow.  Such that it makes it hard to see over people when action is in a corner area of the court and you are sitting on the same side but opposite end.  The home side is better as it is pitched a bit more steeper. 

[Hoghead2]

Magnolia Panthers Arena is very nice as is El Dorado and Nashville and Prescott.

[Ponca]

I'm kicking myself for leaving Russellville and Lake Hamilton off my list. Both are very nice. I still put Alma above them.

Among the others listed, I haven't been to them. Well I have been to Harding, but come on.

My point was if you are sinking millions of dollars into a new arena, make it better or as nice as your competitors. It's an arms race right?  Harrison's new gym is no where near Russellville or Alma level. Not even close. It's already outdated before you turn the key on it.

[sevenof400]

I'm kicking myself for leaving Russellville and Lake Hamilton off my list. Both are very nice. I still put Alma above them.

Among the others listed, I haven't been to them. Well I have been to Harding, but come on.

My point was if you are sinking millions of dollars into a new arena, make it better or as nice as your competitors. It's an arms race right?  Harrison's new gym is no where near Russellville or Alma level. Not even close. It's already outdated before you turn the key on it.

Which begs the question of how much did they spend on it?  If they were being dollar conscious, it makes some sense I suppose given all the construction that has occurred there recently.   

[Ponca]

Which begs the question of how much did they spend on it?  If they were being dollar conscious, it makes some sense I suppose given all the construction that has occurred there recently.

No one in Harrison will ever know the exact dollar amount. They passed a tax to build it. Harrison is notorious for not being open about their funds.

[bluegrassboy75]

Trying to get a picture up of the new arena.

I like the stained Goblin at Mid-Court.

[theflash10]

Anyone at state that has feedback on layout and function of Magnolia's arena?

[Marblehog]

Magnolia Panthers Arena is very nice as is El Dorado and Nashville and Prescott.

Prescott?  How about Lake Hamilton?  Its the nicest gym in the state.  Magnolia and Dequeen also nice

[Marblehog]

That Goblin at midcourt looks awful

[Go Postal]

It's not finished yet.

[Ponca]

Anyone at state that has feedback on layout and function of Magnolia's arena?

Looks exactly like Greenbrier. Except it's red.

[sevenof400]

Looks exactly like Greenbrier. Except it's red.

Even the blown zit covering the ceiling?   

[Ponca]

Even the blown zit covering the ceiling?   

no kidding! What is that stuff?!? Reminds me of the asbestos they used to put in schools

[Ponca]

One thing I hope they have tested in Harrison New Gym is the ability for data to get in and out of there. If it can't, have a really good wifi.

There must be issues at Magnolia gym because both the Harrison and Alma live video feed has been extremely choppy. I've been to other gyms. Harrison's opponent tonight, Greene County Tech immediately comes to mind where my mobile phone data didn't work at all when I got in the gym and had to use the wifi which was horrible.

[pitchperfect]

Help me on this list. Best arenas in Arkansas. My opinion of places I've been to. (So if I left yours out it means I haven't been there)

1. Bud Walton
2. Verizon
3. Alma
4. Stephens Center
5. Hot Springs Convention Center
6. Fayetteville
7. Conway
8. Pine Bluff Convention Center
9. Greenbrier
10. Farmington
11. Jessieville
12. Imboden
13. Greene County Tech

If you build a new arena with millions of dollars, don't you try to make the list?

Malvern's new arena is pretty sweet. Though its no spring chicken, the Farris Center at UCA is still pretty nice if you take those curtains down.