Stuck in a time warp, the gym of Ingraham High School looked like a vintage gymnasium from the movie “Grease!” that had been abandoned and was beginning to deteriorate. Built in 1959, the gym floors of Ingraham high school were warped from time, foot traffic, and impacts. The floor was so worn away that Ingraham High School could not host any basketball or volleyball games in their gym because it was deemed too unsafe. The students were desperate for a way to keep their athletic programs. ESPN’s “Rise Up” decided to help the students continue their excellent athletic performances and to motivate them to keep their passion for sports. In conjunction with Rubber-Cal, ESPN resurfaced their outdated locker rooms and weight rooms with the best gym flooring they could provide so that the students could feel comfortable training both on the court and in the lifting rooms.
While the lifting room did have equipment in it already, they were only supported by threadbare mats placed disjointedly wherever the most stress was assumed to be. Without full mats, the machines were unstable and slowly being damaged each time they were used. Using rubber flooring, the entire lifting room floor was protected from any dropped weights with a thick, cushioned floor. The rubber flooring also provided an excellent anti-slip surface due to rubber’s naturally high coefficient of friction. Not only did the exercise equipment flooring protect the students and the machines, it also improved the appearance of the weight room. The dingy floors had not been kept up to date and maintained. They needed a full covering rather than several mats placed strategically under the machines. After the gym floors were laid down, the locker room looked put together and professional. It transformed into a serious training room that the students could be proud of.
When the new gym was revealed to the students they stared in awe at the complete renovation, scarcely daring to believe that this was their gym that had previously been falling apart. As they toured around all the remodeled rooms, some of the students began to cry and exclaim that they were finally “totally proud of what they have.” The students of Ingraham High School finally received a gym that they deserved.