St. Edmund Prep H.S., Sheepshead Bay, has installed a new gymnasium floor to further enhance the student-athlete experience at the South Brooklyn school.
The floor was finished just in time for the start of the new school year. It will serve as home to the Eagles’ boys’ varsity, junior varsity, and freshmen basketball teams; girls’ varsity and JV basketball teams; girls’ varsity and JV volleyball teams; boys’ varsity volleyball team; cheerleading and STEP teams. It will also be utilized for a physical education class and serve as the seating area for the drama department’s main stage.
In addition to the floor, St. Edmund purchased cushioned chairs for student-athletes to use on the sidelines, along with movable bleachers for fans and family members that have a seating capacity of about 120.
Faculty members hypothesize that the old gym floor was actually the original one installed in 1932 when the school was founded.
In May, administrators discussed the possibility of replacing the floor over the summer. Wear and tear over the years was starting to become noticeable, so it was decided the time was right for a refurbishment.
“Our eagle [logo] was really hurting in center court, and we knew we had to do something,” said Danielle Johnson (’00), who cheered on the old floor and is now the school’s girls’ and boys’ varsity swimming coach as well as the co-athletic director. “The floor was starting to pick up and the decals were coming off. The bleachers were falling apart and starting to get unsafe.”
The school’s principal, Allison McGinnis, was supportive of the project from the beginning. The new surface was installed by Atlantic Sport Floors, the same company that installed the floor at The Hill Center on the campus of St. Joseph’s University Brooklyn, Clinton Hill.
Work began at the end of July with the bleachers taken apart. The floor was then pulled up, revealing the support beams and original nails from nearly 100 years ago. Pieces of plywood were laid down to ensure the floor’s evenness and alleviate dead spots.
Then, each board of the new floor was meticulously put into place, one by one. Next up was the painting, including a shiny new Eagle logo at center court and the school’s name on both baselines. A waterproof stain coat was added, and a new padded border around the entire gym was installed.
As one of the smaller high schools in the diocese, the new floor has elevated the facility to another level, and the student-athletes themselves will benefit the most.
“It’s very exciting,” said boys’ varsity basketball coach and co-athletic director Dan Wiatre. “We’ve always been good at making the most of our space. This gives it a bigger feel, and the new bleachers will make the court look even bigger too. I know my guys are very excited to get back into the gym.”
“For the majority of the population, your sight is your dominant sense, so when you come into a facility that was just redone like ours, your eyes open a little bit,” said Brian Wagner, the girls’ varsity basketball coach and the school’s assistant principal of operations. “This is awesome. We always talk about defending your home court. I think that’s going to take on a whole new meaning for this group of student-athletes now.”
The St. Edmund’s building may be small, but the school spirit is immeasurable. The new gym has invited an even stronger sense of community that has been the school’s hallmark since 1932. “It’s so uplifting,” Johnson said. “Just seeing how strong we are. Our foundation is so stable.”
The first official CHSAA competitions on the new floor take place Tuesday, Sept. 24. The Eagles’ girls’ JV volleyball team will take on Christ the King H.S., Middle Village, in the afternoon followed by the girls’ varsity volleyball team facing the Royals in the evening.
The day will feature a reception, a dedication, and a special blessing. It will also feature lots of excitement as this new chapter in Eagles’ history commences.