Track and Turf Renovation Project to Impact Spring Track Teams

Disclosure: the reporters who wrote this article are members of the spring track team.

This spring, the RMHS boys and girls outdoor track teams will be displaced as a result of Reading’s plan to renovate the school’s outdoor track and stadium turf in April.  

According to RMHS Athletic Director Zaya, the RMHS outdoor track teams will split practice time between the school’s outdoor track and other facilities nearby on an as-needed basis. 

Regarding which facilities the track teams will use, Mr. Zaya added that Austin Prep in Reading would be the preferred place for the track teams to relocate to, given the school’s proximity to RMHS. Mr. Zaya clarified, “Right now, we’ve talked–we’ve only talked, we haven’t really agreed to anything yet–with Austin Prep, Wakefield, North Reading, and possibly Lynnfield.” 

As a result of using other schools’ facilities, Mr. Zaya admitted that the track teams’ practice schedules could also be affected. “Basically, at a place like Austin Prep, there are certain times if they say that we can use their facility, so [track practices] would more than likely be when they don’t have activities going on. So they may be later on in the evening, or mornings on weekends,” Mr. Zaya predicted.

Among the athletes affected by this plan, there has been a mix of both excitement and concern. Ryan Wallace, a Senior Captain of the RMHS boys outdoor track team, noted that although he believes that the outdoor track renovation will be beneficial long term, the plan’s mid-season timing could create some obstacles. “It’s unfortunate,” Wallace said. “We have to move everybody, even the kids who can’t drive themselves to another school every day of the week.”

As of right now, the school doesn’t necessarily have any plans in place for solving the transportation issues. Mr. Zaya commented, “It depends on where we are and the times of the practices. For Austin Prep, it would be ‘get there the way that you can get there’. For some of the other places, that’s still being decided.” Wallace similarly believed that a transportation plan would not be as necessary if practices were to be held at the nearby Austin Prep.

Coming off of successful indoor seasons, the RMHS track teams have high hopes for the spring. Despite the changes, Wallace doesn’t believe that his team’s performance will be affected. “I think we’re a good team, and it doesn’t really matter where we have to go to practice. I think we can still perform at a high level,” Wallace declared.