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Something must be done about Perdue Field track
Justin McGill, Executive Editor -- jmcgill@cadizrecord.com Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Historically, Trigg County High School’s track and field program has been one of the best in the state. Trigg County routinely produces some of the fastest and most gifted student-athletes, and many of them use their gifts to represent our community well on a local, regional, statewide and sometimes national scale.
This is a testament to the hard work, sacrifice and dedication required of and exhibited by these Wildcats and Lady Wildcats. And these student-athletes have been led by a number of equally dedicated coaches and supporters over the years.
All of their success is amazing to me considering the condition of the track at Perdue Field.
Track and field includes athletic skill, a high level of effort and, above all, practice. Just like any other sport, repetitition yields results. And when you’re talking about tenths or hundredths of a second seperating one competitor from another, being able to practice on a good surface is essential.
Trigg County’s track surface isn’t near good.
Now, I understand times are tough and money is tight. Completely replacing the current surface isn’t likely a financial burden that can be feasibly shouldered at the moment. I get that.
However, I find it hard to believe that a simple resurfacing of the track is out of the question.
One of the arguments I’ve heard against a new track surface is Relay for Life and its use of Perdue Field.
First of all, understand that I have nothing but appreciation for Relay, what it stands for and the support it has in this community.
However, using it as an excuse not to make an improvement that would give Trigg student-athletes a better competitive opportunity – and in turn a better chance at potential college scholarships – is ludicrous.
If you’re looking for an example of a school that has high-quality track facilities and hosts a large event with specific needs, you need go no further than Marshall County. Carroll Traylor Stadium has one of the best track surfaces in the state, and it also hosts the county’s Relay.
And if money is the only issue, the outlook there isn’t all doom and gloom, either.
This season, Trigg County isn’t scheduled to host a track meet. That’s a loss of fees from schools that would come to such a meet, as well as concessions. Plus, it means TCHS has to pay entry fees for an additional meet on the road this season.
In addition, with the current track surface, Trigg County will not host any regional championship meet for any class, which would not be out of the realm of possibility if things were improved. Cash flow for such an event would be significantly higher than a regular season meet.
Perhaps most importantly, even a new resurfacing would decrease the chance of injury to athletes. In a perfect world, a completely new surface would do that trick, too.
The bottom line is this: There is no excuse I can accept for these student-athletes not receiving the very best support they can receive.
Justin McGill is executive editor of The Cadiz Record and can be reached by email at jmcgill@cadizrecord.com. |
