On Feb. 10, the school celebrated the 50th anniversary of the construction of the field house. The field house plays a role in almost every student’s daily life, along with after school activities.
“The field house provides state of the art practice and competition facilities for Altoona’s athletes,” Public Relations Director Paula Foreman said. “Because of the opening of the field house, teams could now practice and compete in the same facility.”
New additions to the field house have given students opportunities they didn’t have before.
“The addition of the pool provided the opportunity for the first boys’ and girls’ swim teams,” Foreman said. “The facility was large enough to host playoff competitions, which brought people from out of town into Altoona. There have been a lot of talented athletes who have competed at the field house, both from Altoona and out of the area. A look at the AAHS Athletic Wall of Fame highlights just some of those athletes. Ask any Altoona fan and I’m sure they would tell you some of the best games and competitions in the State have taken place at the AAHS Fieldhouse.”
The field house has needed updates over the years to ensure the facility is safe for students and staff.
“AASD is always investing in upgrades to maintain the facility that we have, which was seen with the installation of new, accessible bleachers, updated electronic scoreboards and message boards,” Foreman said. “Sponsored by former AAHS Principal Walter Betar, an AAHS Sports Wall of Fame was added. Major renovations occurred in 2020 with the addition of the Thompson Family Strength & Conditioning Center, a new spin room and an expanded lobby with new trophy cases and digital displays that provide game-time information and display athletic digital images as well as an updated athletic training room to better serve student athletes.”
The field house is where most student athletes spend a majority of their time. Whether that time is filled by playing basketball, volleyball, cheerleading or another sport.
“The Fieldhouse is used by almost all AAHS students through either physical education classes or competitive sports,” Foreman said. “Physical education promotes personal growth, and the development of individuals in the areas of health and wellness. Athletics, whether competitive or for pleasure, teach the importance of hard work, how to work as a team, how to be competitive, how to win and how to lose. All of these skills can be transferred to real life.”
“It’s just like a second home, “ junior Ethan Hicks said. “It’s where I play all my home games.”
The field house will be here for many years to come. Possibly seeing new improvements to make the field house even better.
“I’d probably say I think we would have a big video board on the sides and a jumbotron hanging down, and some new rooms and maybe a nicer floor, ” junior Parker White said.
“I see the fieldhouse in another 50 years being an amazing home for all the students here,” sophomore and JV basketball player Justin Pfeffer said. “The only difference is there’s going to be more banners for the Mountain Lions.”
