As the construction of McCallum’s new practice field nears its end, students and coaches alike are anticipating their return to the space. However, the date that the field is to be completed has been pushed back multiple times. Due to numerous delays resulting in the inability to use the field, the excitement that once buzzed the hallways and classrooms of athletes is quickly turning into disappointment and frustration from seniors– who will no longer be able to use the field during their final year.
On Jan. 21, athletic director and head football coach Tom Gammerdinger announced that the completion date for the new turf field was pushed back yet again. The initial deadline for the field to be completed was mid-2024. That turned into the summer of 2025, to the end of November, to the beginning of February, and finally to the end of March. Although the field is completed, the track has not yet been repaired, and is preventing teams from using the field for now.
Gammerdinger said that although the completion date has been pushed back many times, a lot of positives will come out of the field once it is finished.
“It’s going to be a great thing for a lot of programs to have a place to play on a consistent surface, regardless of weather conditions,” Gammerdinger said. “In my opinion, it’s a game changer for us athletically, not just for football but for soccer.”
Gammerdinger also said that the field will help build community by letting different teams play there.
“It’ll be a great thing not just for McCallum, but middle schools are going to play some games out there,” he said. “Some junior varsity football and varsity soccer games will be played there, and the desire and use for the field is a great way to bring the community together.”
Gammerdinger said that the delays, while frustrating, are just part of the process.
“Projects like this frequently tend to take longer than expected,” he said. “We know Austin High’s field is done, and Bowie’s is as well. But those schools are exceptions. Northeast started their field the same time as LBJ, and now they might finish after both LBJ and us. Delays for projects at this scope, it’s just how it goes.”
Gammerdinger said that although he was excited for the field’s completion, he was also lowering his expectations in case of this situation.
“I’ve been tempering my expectations all along,” he said. “I’m cautiously optimistic, but I’ve seen this happen before. When we built the weight room a couple years ago, that took longer than expected, too.”
While Gammerdinger was expecting delays, he understands the community’s frustration.
“A lot of people are disappointed because we were supposed to be out there in a couple weeks, and that’s not happening anymore, and I’m right there with them.”
Not only is football being affected, but also the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams. They have been practicing at off-campus fields for the past school year. The completion of the field was supposed to relieve the team of the need to travel to practice in the spring, but now the field won’t be practice-ready until after the soccer season is over.
Senior Ava Dallesandro said that the entire team feels both frustrated, and disappointed.
“We had a hope that we would be able to play our senior night there, because it would be easier to get more people to come to games and it would be nice to finish the season on our new field,” she said. “At the very least, we were expecting to be able to practice on it. It’s annoying that we can’t play any games on it, but now we can’t use it at all, not even for practice.”
Dallesandro spoke about the inconvenience of having to drive to alternate locations for practice.
“We’re mostly annoyed about practice because this means that we have to keep going out of our way and take class time to drive to fields that aren’t at school,” she said. “It’s a hassle, getting people rides and being in charge of arriving and leaving on time.”
Although the team can’t practice during the season, Dallesandro hopes to get to practice on the field after the season.
“Seniors don’t have to go to practice after the season is over, but we would love to get out on the field,” she said. “We’re such a tight knit team and we would love to keep practice going even if we don’t have to.”
While the school’s soccer and football programs are taking a toll on the delays, another problem that arises is track season. Because the track is yet to be completed, the plan was to use the track at Nelson field in the morning and come to the weight room after practice, but so far, practice has been limited to any grass or open parking lots coach Vic Ike can use.
Part of the message from the contractor relayed to Gammerdinger was that the old track was misshaped and the incorrect length, which is why an entirely new one is being built from the ground up instead of resurfacing the old track. This has caused further delays.
Sophomore and varsity sprinter Cash Cuppett said that the absence of a track has severely gotten in the way of practice. The team is having to practice in the band parking lot.
“We’ve mostly been working in the weight room and finding places to run where we can,” he said. “But the place we’re running is the band lot, which isn’t great because the concrete takes a toll on our knees. It’s a very hard surface.”
Additionally, Cuppett worries that running on concrete will make the team unprepared for meets.
“I won’t be used to running on the rubber,” he said. “Usually I’m able to practice on it to get me used to the surface and to know the distance of my running, but right now I don’t know how far I’m running and I’m not running on the right material.”
At the beginning of the season, track practice took place at Nelson Field, an obstacle for many students.
“We have to drive all the way over to Nelson, and it conflicts with lots of school problems,” Cupett said. “Getting to school on time, playing other sports, and doing homework are all conflicting sacrifices that are made by having to go elsewhere for practice.”
Practice has since been moved to Lamar Middle School.
While many students feel similarly to Dallesandro and Cuppett, Gammerdinger said the situation is clear and should be accepted.
“The bottom line is, we’re not getting on the field. If you want to be disappointed and upset with that, you can do that,” he said. “But the best thing to do is continue to be flexible and understand that it’s going to happen at some point. We have to make the best of a tough situation.”