Over the summer, the Hawkes Field House gymnasium floor was replaced, and by September, was ready to use for physical education and athletic purposes for students.
The floor was completely renovated after years of wear and tear.
Before starting the renovation in May, both the RPS administration and the Town Meeting arrived at the same conclusion: the Hawkes fieldhouse needed to be redone. According to this Orbit article, the Town Meeting met in May of 2024 and allocated $1.9 million towards redoing the bleachers and track floor. The investment did not stop there; during a town meeting in November of 2024, an additional $1.3 million was added to the budget to make the basketball and volleyball courts wooden with newer materials.
In addition, school administrators played a huge role in developing the project. The RMHS Athletic Director, Mr. Zaya, the superintendent, Dr. Milaschewski, and other athletic consultants met consistently.
“We would meet throughout the project weekly to discuss what the needs were, what the wants were, how things were going, and how things were progressing. So, it was a pretty open dialogue and communication throughout the whole process,” said Mr. Zaya.
Even with construction being a couple of weeks behind schedule, the gymnasium floor was used for physical education.
“I think that the renovation that they did to the bleachers is great, and [there] were so many people who worked so hard on it throughout the summer, and I think they are unrecognized,” said Gianna Miceli (‘26), captain of the Varsity Volleyball team.
Reactions to the new floor
The majority of the reactions appear to be positive and in support of the new change.
Not only are the volleyball and basketball teams using this surface, but it is also utilized by the town and RMHS to hold events, like the activities fair, college fair, and our beloved pep rallies. Most importantly, the students and staff believe the design has already improved the vibe of the community space. The original floor was a darker, almost yellow-brown color with wooden bleachers. Now, the gymnasium has a light brown wooden basketball and volleyball courts with grey bleachers that spell out RMHS.
“I think the whole atmosphere has changed. It looks like Reading’s now; before, it was very generic,” said Mr. Morrissey, history teacher and varsity boys basketball coach.
At the same time, some students have not felt a large difference between the old design and the new design of the volleyball court. One volleyball player noted an advantage of adapting to the new volleyball court.
“I think the design of the new floor is pretty much the same design as the old floor … and I think it’s since we’ve been playing on it for a little bit, it’s definitely gotten easier to run on,” stated Miceli.
Will the new floor help increase player safety?
Some RMHS students and faculty have noted their hopes that a new floor could prevenht accidental injuries, whereas the old floor presented potential risks for them. For example, there was a concern with standing on the court for a long time because of the court floor’s thin padding.
“If you stood on that all day, your legs would be sore, and you’d be tired. And the common injury is a lot of knee injuries, just from the planting. [When you plant your feet] you don’t move, but your body does, and just that wear and tear on the body we saw a lot of knee injuries,” said girls volleyball coach Ms. Hopkinson.
This idea of having the floor respond to athletes standing or running on it is very important when talking about injury prevention, because a major aspect of the sports that take place in the fieldhouse involves these harsh movements and planting.
“I do think it helps their physical bodies–there’s a lot more give to the floor. The knees will be in much better shape,” remarked Mr. Morrissey.
However, some athletes were less concerned about the padding than the other floor’s lack of traction.
“On the old floor, there weren’t a lot of injuries. It was definitely slippery sometimes. So sometimes during the games, people … going to hit the ball … landed wrong, and could slip,” stated Miceli.
Was the investment worth it?
Several RMHS faculty and students believe investing in the new gymnasium floor was worth it. According to Mr. Zaya, the facilities at RMHS are now “top-notch,” and the field house is now probably one of the better ones around. He explained that the renovation process didn’t have to cost so much if they used cheaper materials; however, the town chose to invest in high-quality materials because they wanted the best not only for the students but for the community as well.
In addition, staff members expressed their gratitude for the renovation of the Hawkes Field House gym floor. “They put a lot of thought, time and investment, and it was overdue, and I know, personally I’m grateful, just for multiple reasons that they took the time to invest into it,” expressed Ms. Hopkinson.
The renovation of the gym floor is not just an investment in the athletics program; it’s a positive investment for the entire Reading community. Summer camps, gym classes, and RMHS events commonly fill up in this incredible community space.
“It’s a central location for everyone in the community, and everyone’s going to love it. Look at the new bleachers, too. Looks so good. I love it,” Ms. Hopkinson said.
“This court is not just the high school athletics teams’. Don’t forget, it’s for the community,” she added.
