ORANGE BEACH — Orange Beach Middle and High School officially opened its new $46.1 million athletics facility last Wednesday morning, marking a new era for Mako sports.
This item is available in full to subscribers.
Please log in to continue |
ORANGE BEACH — Orange Beach Middle and High School officially opened its new $46.1 million athletics facility last Wednesday morning, marking a new era for Mako sports.
The complex features venues for multiple sports and training, and is designed to host tournaments and school events. The football and soccer stadium includes grandstands, a Jumbo-Tron and a surrounding eight-lane track with high jump, long jump, pole vault, javelin and discus areas.
Superintendent Randy Wilkes said durability was a top priority and that the facilities were built to withstand most storm events. He said he expects them to last more than a century to protect taxpayer investment.
“Today we aren’t just cutting the ribbon,” Orange Beach Principal Chris Shaw said. “We are opening the doors to a vision built by the hands, hearts and hopes of a remarkable community. This athletic complex is more than a court, stadium and facilities; it’s a stage for our students to train, compete, grow their team work, discipline and pride.”
Here are five standout features from the tour of the new facility:
The competition gym seats 1,200 and features a 94-foot-long court — the same size courts used in college basketball — along with a center-hung video board. A modern sound and lighting system enhances the atmosphere, and the lobby includes concessions and gathering space.
The south side of the gym connects to multiple locker rooms, coach offices and film study rooms.
The state-of-the-art training space overlooks the practice field through large windows. It includes 16 weight racks — more than some Division I programs — each equipped with EliteForm Tracker screens that provide real-time data on velocity, power and repetitions.
The technology, used by schools such as LSU and Wake Forest, gives athletes instant feedback to improve performance and form.
Just down the hall from the weight room is a collegiate-like training room as well, featuring treatment tables and hot/cold plunge tub.
The 150-by-200-foot multi-sport pavilion includes 60 yards of artificial turf under a 60-foot apex roof. Retractable nets allow the space to be used for football, soccer and other sports.
The Kinesiology and Exercise Science Building features an 80-seat, theater-style room that can also be divided into two classrooms. The space resembles a college press conference room and will host courses such as health and driver’s education.
Across the hall is an additional computer lab for instruction and team use.
Like many college programs, the Makos’ facility includes a second-level lounge area where players can relax, eat lunch or spend time with teammates while overlooking the fields.
Having a two-story athletic facility — complete with a player lounge — is rare for a Class 4A high school.
