The Rock’s gym was opened in October of 2007. At that time, there were no permanent bleachers, and it lacked color due to the staunch white walls and the limited amount of banners hanging from the rafters.
Nearly 20 years later, the gym is full of school colors due to the numerous championships won by volleyball, soccer, and basketball.
In addition, the school has produced nearly 100 collegiate student-athletes, whose personal banners circle the gym under the numerous faithful business sponsor banners.
History of the Design
The original court design mimicked the court design of the FHSAA basketball championships in Lakeland as Head Coach Svend Wilbekin wanted the players to see what it would be like when they got there.
In the summer of 2015, the court underwent its first makeover and re-design.
This version of the court has had numerous champions train on it, most noticeably the boys National Team that has won 4 SIAA Championships in that span.
After the school re-branded its logos in early 2022, it was time for a new look for the Lion and now it is displayed prominently at mid-court in an over-sized design.
The Redesign Takes Shape
The new court design is lighter, revealing more of the natural wood-grains on the plank flooring to help brighten the already bright gym.
It is also designed with simplicity as the main basketball court lines have been reduced to a thinner 4″ border.
This element helps to make the gym look and feel bigger than the old design that had a bold, thick black border surrounding the basketball court.
NCAA 3-Point Line Added
Finally, the court is marked with several additional training line features, including the addition of a light beige 3-point line at the NCAA distance. This addition was Coach Justin Harden’s idea.
“I wanted something for our guys to be able to use for their college preparation,” said Harden.
“But I didn’t want it to stick out because I noticed that our players always see the furthest lines on the court and tend to take shots that are well beyond the HS line, which isn’t always good.”
“Plus we have guys who come back from college and professional leagues and train on the court. I thought they would appreciate the line to help them think less about the distance of their shots,” Harden added.
Subtle Additions for Practice & Training
The court also features 2 agility ladders and several 5-dot patterns that can be used by athletes for footwork training and agility.
The auxiliary courts for both volleyball and basketball have light beige markings as well, so as not to be immediately noticeable.
“We came up with the light beige idea because we wanted the main court to stand out when you first look at the court. We want our logo and the main court lines to catch your attention as the black contrasts with the light wood tones,” added Harden.
“But we also want our players to be able to use the auxiliary courts to train well in practice.”
