Earlier this week, the brand new athletic commons area at Corbin High School was officially unveiled to the community. For many current Redhounds and Lady Hounds, it was a chance to check out the facility that they will call home for the duration of their high school athletic careers.
“It’s going to be great,” said tennis Coach Chris Jones. “The courts have been resurfaced, there are separate locker rooms for the boys and the girls, they have added bleachers, and then, of course, there is the tower.”
The tower that Jones is referring to is a large structure located at the center of the commons area that provides coaches and officials with a 360-degree view of the entire facility.
“I’m happy that our seniors will be able to use it before they leave,” Jones added. “It’ll make for a better experience for the spectators as well.”
Softball Head Coach Crystal Stidham said that it was difficult having to wait on the commons area to get finished, but now that she has seen her players’ brand new locker room area, she knows that the wait was well worth it for both her staff and the team.
“This is above and beyond anything that we could’ve expected,” Stidham said. “I wanted to let the girls in, but we weren’t allowed to even let them peek until today. Watching their faces as they walked in today, knowing what they had and what they have now… our minds are blown.”
Stidham expressed great excitement about what the new facilities will mean for the school’s softball team moving forward, as they will now be able to reap the benefits of having their own dedicated space for meeting, strategizing and getting mentally prepared for competition.
Another CHS athletic program that will benefit from the new commons area is track and cross country. Coach Tyler Harris and company will be in Lexington this weekend for the 2024 KHSAA cross country state championships, but he took a few moments on Monday to give his thoughts on the new facility.
“It feels good to be thought of, and to be supported,” Harris said. “These kids have needed their own space for a really long time. We have had successful teams who are deserving of things like this, and I just appreciate the district seeing that and supporting it. Everybody wants their own space to call home and be proud of. It’s nice to finally have that.”
Corbin Independent Schools Superintendent David Cox spoke to those in attendance at Monday’s dedication of the athletic commons area. He thanked a long list of individuals who have contributed to the project, starting with board of education members Todd Childers, Carcille Burchette, Keith Gibson, Paul Taylor and Stephen Mulberry. Cox also acknowledged Kim Croley, who was serving as a board member when the project first got underway.
