By Staff
ECHS coaches forgo break
By Adam Prestridge
Spring Break is meant to give students, teachers and faculty at schools across the nation the chance at receiving exactly what it states, a “break.”
Students in Escambia County are enjoying that break this week as many loaded up their vehicles this past weekend to escape to the beach despite an unseasonable cold snap that hit the area early this week. Fortunately for those beach goers, the weather is beginning to warm up and should be nice and warm by Thursday.
Despite the opportunity to escape the pressures of work and school, the Escambia County High School coaching staff with the help from a few devoted athletes are working to remodel the school’s aging field house.
Work began last week with the removal of equipment and demolition of lockers. The facility was also pressure washed to wash away several years of dirt and grim.
This week, the coaches and volunteers have painted the inside of the facility including walls and floors and have also laid ceramic tile down in the coaches’ offices.
Athletic director and head football coach Kyle Davis will be entering his fourth year as head coach of the Blue Devils and should be commended for the many efforts he has put forth to not only keep his athletes from getting lost in the system, but also to improve the quality of life for the athletes at ECHS. Spearheading the field house renovation project is just one of many efforts that display just how far above and beyond the call of duty Davis has gone for the school.
But Davis hasn’t been working alone. There are numerous coaches, they know who they are, that have been right beside Davis as he has tackled project after project during his tenure in Atmore. Without those coaches, the work being done this week, that has been done in the past and will be done in the future would not and will not be possible. Surrounding yourself with good people makes you look good and that’s exactly what Coach Davis has done.
In addition, the support from the school’s athletic boosters made up of parents and various other supporters that beg for money and volunteer their assistance time and time again to support their child’s athletic aspirations or alma mater speaks volumes. The booster club has supported Davis from the get-go in each endeavor he has pursued and, although it’s a huge undertaking, has supported him wholeheartedly in his most recent project.
So instead of having snow white sand run between their toes on the beaches of the Gulf Coast, Davis and several members of his coaching staff opted for mortar between their fingers in hopes of bettering their experience as a high school athlete.
Next time you see Davis or a member of his coaching staff, whether you have a child in school or not, shake his hand and thank him. He deserves it.
Adam Prestridge is publisher of the Atmore Advance. He can be reached at 368-2123 or email him at adam.prestridge@atmoreadvance.com