New Gym at WSHS Brings More Opportunities for Students

Woodbridge Senior High School has a new gym floor, locker rooms and varsity team for the first time in nearly 20 years.

The process of renovating the gym started in late May when contractors began surveying conditions and after county officials made an inspection of the old floor and deemed it unsafe.

While the gym was still under construction during the first week of school, WSHS' Activities Director Karl Kerns said it had no affect on the physical education classes held in the gym's facilities.

"This new floor was built on top of the existing floor so we need to make some more adjustments before games can be played in here," said Kerns. "Since we built on the floor the basketball hoops are no longer ten-feet-tall and we need to put in padding on the corners."

While PE classes were displaced temporarily, the Vikings volleyball team weathered the brunt of the construction.

"Our volleyball team has been totally displaced to Freedom High School this summer," said Kerns. "We arranged it with the Freedom activities director and we are extremely grateful to the parents, coaches and Freedom staff for the accommodations."

Head coach of the girls volleyball team Jean Morrissey has persevered through the gym construction and hopes her team comes out of this experience with a stronger bond.

"I am very proud of the girls and very thankful to the parents for all the running around they have had to do," said Morrissey, who is in her first year of coaching at WSHS. "We feel like a team without a home."

Now, the volleyball team will have an even better home.

"We could even host a volleyball tournament here if we wanted to," said Kerns.

Prince William County Schools funded the gym project in total, which was a collaborative effort with the majority of Woodbridge's coaching staff.

"With county leaders and Principal Huckestein working with our coaches we worked it out," said Kerns. "It really is for the kids."

Woodbridge's gym is used 95 percent of the time for PE classes, so students will have ample opportunity to utilize the new features.