ANNA — Anna fans can take a tour of a new training center for all the school’s athletes on Sunday.
Anna Athletic Boosters is holding a ribbon cutting and open house from 5 to 9 p.m. on Sunday at the new Rocket Athletic Center at 210 W. Walnut Street. The complex, which has air conditioning and heating, is on the northeast corner at the W. Walnut Street and N. 2nd Street intersection and located between the school and Booster Field.
Fundraising for the RAC has been ongoing for seven years. It includes a large weight room and restrooms in the front of the building and a 45-foot long open area with artificial turf in the back of the building that can be used for agility training for variety of sports. There is netting in the artificial turf area for two batting cages.
“Our main goal with the facility is to give something to every sport, every athlete” Athletic Boosters president Tim Stroh said.
Stroh said the need for a new training facility was increased when renovations at Anna’s high school and middle school building began in the summer of 2018.
Before the renovations, the school’s weight room was in a room the size of a normal classroom. After the renovations began, all weight training equipment was moved to the football team’s locker room adjacent Booster Field.
“We had to put everything (with the RAC) on hold during (the renovation) so everything at the school could get done,” Stroh said. “… Our old weight room was simply just lame. This new one is a lot more than that. Our hope is every sport, especially the females and the young athletes, can get in there and not be intimidated.”
The facility has also been furnished with all-new workout equipment and the Boosters is hoping it can purchase more equipment if fundraising goals are met.
In addition to the RAC, the Boosters is currently constructing at new entrance on the east side of Booster Field. As part of that project, the Grange Hall has been demolished.
“There was a parking lot there that was all gravel and it was hard for people, especially handicapped people, to get into the football stadium,” Stroh said. “They’re going to pave that whole lot and put a new fence up and build a new ticket window and have lighting in the whole area so it’s a little safer in the evening.”
The Anna Athletic Boosters has raised $150,000 of the $350,000 needed to fully fund the RAC. Anyone with fundraising questions or who wishes to donate can contact Craig Stiefel at [email protected] or Mike Heitkamp at [email protected].
