Beating Around the Bush: Indoor Practice

One of the greatest things to happen at Huntingdon High School over the last several years is the growing number of sports student-athletes can compete in. With the growing number of sports also comes issues that are unavoidable.

Football has always been at the top of the list when it comes to the amount of revenue that the school brings in through gate receipts and such. Basketball might be at the top, but I am not privy to that info but in all fairness, basketball plays a lot more games.

The rest of the sports are funded in part by what football and basketball accumulate and through sponsors and donations. It creates a busy life for this old sportswriter, but he is also loving the fact that kids who in the past didn’t have a sport to participate in do now.

Tennis courts are on the way, and none too soon. Huntingdon has been playing its home games at Bethel, which is 11 or 12 miles away. I understand that money that is being spent on that project could be directed towards upgrading ballparks around town; it is still a needed project.

I think it is also time for the Huntingdon Mustangs football team to have an indoor practice facility. Just the brutal heat that has swept our area over the last month should be reason enough to start building today. There have been too many instances of kids wilting under the heat and even the loss of life.

Paul Ward Stadium and Eric Swenson Field are getting used the way it was intended when the magic carpet was laid down. However, only one athletic team at a time can be on the field. This past week, there was a soccer match for the Fillies and because of the heat, the football team practiced on the practice field which is without light. The football team went late because of the heat and was virtually practicing in the dark to escape the heat.

The first question will be from where will the financial help come from to fund this project? That is the question that I do not have an answer for, but I also know that football is important for Huntingdon High School. If there is a will, then there is a way.

Huntingdon is known for Mustang football, and the Mustangs are currently in a seven-team region and are only one of two schools that do not have an indoor facility. With the deep tradition and how important football is to our community, you might think we would be the first school to have it.

I remember a playoff game at Union City years ago in which it was cold, raining, the wind was blowing, and the Mustangs warmed up in extreme conditions while the Tornadoes warmed up in their cozy indoor practice facility. The Mustangs went on to lose 36-0, and the fact that Union City had an advantage beforehand made a difference. I could argue either way for yes and no.

I do know it will help our football team moving forward into the future, and I know somebody has some money somewhere just lying around.

Beating Around the Bush is a regular column by Russell Bush discussing sports and other musings.