Beyond the Arc
With tentative plans underway and volunteers ready to tackle the enormous job of constructing a community center/movie theater complex, I can't help but wonder if there is any way Marion High School and the City of Marion could work in collaborative fashion to add a gymnasium to the prospective plan.
After coaching basketball this past season, one obstacle continually fell in our way as a coaching staff — practice venues.
The problem was too many teams, and not enough courts. We all found a way and a time to practice, but both were usually at inopportune times. A good example: the C-team boys' basketball team usually found themselves out on the court at 6 a.m. because of the lack of space.
Most basketball programs in the area deal with a degree of practice hassles and dilemmas, but most of them are discussing how many courts they get for that particular practice rather than where or when they will be practicing from week to week.
With other performances such as band and choral concerts often taking place in one of the two gymnasiums, one of the two varsity basketball teams is bused to the former Florence gym (which possesses a certain mystique, but is nonetheless out-of-the-way).
I'd encourage those who have previously brought out ideas about MHS constructing a gymnasium or adding additional space to the existing gym to take this idea to heart.
This is a great opportunity for MHS and Marion to gain more than just a community center, movie theater, and gymnasium. Think about the long-term benefits of this idea. The gym could:
— Become a great place for citizens to come and work-out, play basketball, or run.
— Become a potential sub-state venue for Class 3A basketball tournaments (which in-turn, brings dollars to the community.)
— Become a potential site for Mid-America Youth Basketball tournaments (which also could bring dollars to the community.)
The proposed site of construction makes this idea even better — so don't hesitate to take a chance and strike while the iron is hot.
