The new St. Pius X field house continues to make progress every day. It is not scheduled to open for five more months, but it finally has a name: The St. Joan of Arc Field House, nicknamed “The Arc.”
In September, over 300 students and faculty nominated a saint then voted among the top 5 choices: St. Sebastian, St. Joan of Arc, St. John Paul II, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. Hyacinth.
“We had over 900 votes. We had a huge representation of the students. Almost all the students voted,” said President Aaron Parr. “I really want us to always be doing things that enhance our students’ experiences at Pius, you know, putting the students first.”
The St. Joan of Arc Field House is part of the Ring the Bells Capital Campaign. The library renovations, new gates, new front office area, and additional security officers are also part of the campaign.
The Arc will include a 4500 square foot weight training room that holds 100 students, three times the size of the current one in Donnellan. Sports including football, girls and boys soccer, cheerleadering, girls and boys lacrosse, and wrestling. These teams will also have their own locker rooms with bathrooms and showers.
Athletic trainers Schmitty and Schonda will each have their own offices as well, allowing them to better care for our athletes. Currently there is only one small training room outside of the gym, and it usually can’t accommodate the number of students who need treatment. There will also be an area for plyometrics and stretching.
As for the Donnellan locker rooms and weight room, they will be converted into locker rooms for boys and girls cross country in the fall season and then for track and field during the spring. There is also the possibility for other future projects.
The field house is expected to be ready by April 2024 and will be a great addition to St. Pius, one that will benefit the students and school community for many years to come.
