For about five years, coaches and staff at Hidden Valley High School have been pushing for  a field house, something lacking at HVHS. Since HVHS opened in August 2002, their football team and other athletics have grown and hence, have outgrown their current locker rooms.

Coach Scott Weaver said that he has been working with many of  the players mom’s  to create a plan for the field house for about two years now. During that time plans have been made and drawn up, they’ve been approved and they got a price quote.

“There is an athletic director, Principal and coaches that know their needs to improvements,” Weaver said.

The current room is about 967  square feet and during football season, that small space must accommodate 65 football players. But that’s just during football season, throughout the year there are about 620 athletes that need lockers and need use of a weight room.

“When this gets built, every sport will have the ability to use it,” Weaver said. “Students can even use it for strength and condition class as a PE elective.”

The current room used by the football players has stacked lockers allowing sweaty football equipment to drip down on other student’s equipment, which Weaver said it is a health risk. Although it is maintained a new field house will solve this problem. There are only 65 lockers for the players and not enough bench space left for them all to sit, and no ventilation. Their current weight room is also small and cannot accommodate the team or a large group of students.

Weaver said that he’d like to increase the amount of players on the team, since the football program is growing, but can’t without the new field house.

The proposed field house will be a 90 foot by 50 foot steel and block building which will include a 2,033 square foot weight room. The building will be a total of 4,500 square feet. The plan is to have the building located behind the school near the cafeteria in a vacant space. It will include locker rooms with about 80 lockers, showers, boys and girls bathrooms, a coaches office, a weight room and storage. The plan is to break ground in the spring of 2011.

The total cost of the project is around $240,000 and in just a few weeks of campaigning, HVHS has raised over $20,000. But there is still a long way to go.

“I think it’s going to get done but the word needs to be spread to the community,” Weaver said.

Here is how you can help:

*Purchase a locker for $500. Plaques will also be mounted with whatever you choose to have on it.

*Purchase a brick paver in honor of, dedicated to, etc.  for $100 (these pavers will be placed around the building)

*Make a tax-deductible donation to the Fieldhouse Fund

All contributions are tax deductible. Make checks to HVHS Athletic Booster Club Inc, with “Field House” on the memo line. Send completed check to Kim Lescure, 4833 Pleasant Hill Drive, Roanoke, VA 24018.

Call Kim Lescure (540) 776-3413 or Bette brand (540 309-1187 if you have any questions or want additional naming opportunities for your donation.

Other sports plan on having events throughout the year to help raise money for the field house. Those events will be announce at a later date.