A Gym of Our Own
Kalani Soeda, Staff Writer
August 31, 2009
Filed under News, Photos
Only a year ago the gymnasium at Le Jardin Academy was nothing more than a few metal pillars here and there. Now, a year later, our school boasts one of the finest gymnasiums in all of Hawaii.
Everyone on campus, especially sports enthusiasts, are excited about our brand new facilities. “Of course, yes I am happy,” said Coach Jason, “the square footage is good.” All sorts of sporting activites have found their home in the new gym…from volleyball and basketball to P.E. classes. Coach Jason explained that the gym is going to be used for more than just athletic events in the future, though. At the moment other tentative events to be held in the gym include high school parent night, graduation, and an assortment of dances.
Mr. Olaso gave a similar response saying, “At the current stage the gym is being put to proper use and suits the needs of the people.” The plan for the future is to modify and get better in all aspects of an athletic complex. “Out of the seven sports that require a gymnasium to operate only Volleyball and Basketball require an admissions fee from the ILH (Interscholastic League of Honolulu),” said Olaso. “This makes our gym official because we offer both of these sports for both men and women.” The question on everyone’s mind though is when is the weight room going to arrive? Both are unclear at the moment as to an exact date, but will keep the public notified with current information.
Many students are also wondering why they are not allowed in the gym during their breaks and lunch period. Mr. Olaso they said the reason was because the school’s P.E. department has the gym from 8:00 am till 3:30 pm every day. Both Coach Jason and Mr. Olaso hope that lunch training for certain sports will become available once the gym rules get established. “I believe that students should be allowed in to practice for their sports” said Olaso. “When P.E. is not in a unit requiring the gym facilities, we are currently looking into possible options to allow this” Coach Jason added in.
As of right now though students are not allowed in the gym to use the courts between the hours of 8 and 3:30 Monday- Friday. “We need to show respect to P.E.,” says Mr. Olaso, “allowing them to use the gym when needed.”
With the addition of the new Gymnasium and the new High School buildings our small windward campus is rapidly turning into a school to be reckoned with both in athletics and in academics. Let’s gear up for a great year for sports and we hope to see you in our new gym. Let’s go Dawgs!!