After seven years of progress and dedication, the Mount Vernon Community School District was filled with excitement as we announced the opening of the Martha Parsons and Family Activities Complex. A state-of-the-art multi-use facility that will be used for football, soccer, band, track, and many other activities throughout the school district. The complex showcases the district’s commitment to providing a top-of-the-line facility for the student athletes and community to have incredible pride in. “I was pretty emotional. To think back on the years of fundraising and doing it for the kids was pretty cool,” said Activities Director Matt Thede. “Our first event was homecoming week and the community showed up. It was a full house. People showed up and wanted to see the place. They were so encouraging.”
Three common themes continue to surface around the Martha Parsons and Family Activities Complex: campus, community, and pride. It’s certainly been a long journey to get to this point, yet well worth it to see the finished product.
Strength and Speed Coach Preston Pedersen said the new complex integrated into our growing campus filled him with excitement: “Excitement that it was going to be on campus, Excitement that we get to have soccer and track facilities where they should be. Just the opportunity to have PE and strength and speed, anybody from the elementary or middle school to be able to go over there. All of those things rolling into it could be a really awesome piece to our already awesome campus.”
Pedersen said that the new activities complex fills a role that was missing. “I think it’s a massive puzzle piece that sends us one more step down the path in bringing campus all together. Just the potential to have everything on this campus and walk out back to a press box, and have everything convenient for everybody.”
The impact of the new turf extended beyond athletics and other activities; it also pulled in the community with the creation of new walking trails that are already heavily used in a very active outdoor community. In addition, the access to this new facility is so convenient and safe for residents to get to. Mount Vernon Community School District has leveled up to match and in some cases exceed what similar schools of its size have done in creating a facility that students can take pride in as others visit for events. The accessibility of the new facility is a significant upgrade for the community.
Another important aspect for the school district in creating this new environment is the pride felt by all those involved. “I can’t even put into words how incredible it is just to be able to provide something like this for our kids – it’s awesome,” said Mount Vernon’s head track coach Ryan Whitman. With many great experiences already coming from this new facility, Coach Whitman is excited to host the first track meet on Mount Vernon’s home oval. This is an exciting opportunity we have not had in many years as the old track does not meet standards and the use of Cornell’s facility was no longer an option.
Senior Evan Brase has many connections to this facility. He was selected as a student-athlete representative to help break ground. He also played his senior football season in the stadium and is excited to be a member of the track and field team as MV kicks off the first season at the facility. “I really enjoyed it, he said. “It had a great atmosphere and it was really nice on your body as well. ”
Speaking of firsts the Mount Vernon football team had their first regular season on the new field. “I personally loved it,” Pedersen said. “I know from the perspective of our fans they are a little bit further away, not as high up. It’s also a great environment for the fans.”
“There is a ton more space in the student section and a better overall vibe to the student section,” said junior, AJ McDermott. “We are a little bit farther away from the field compared to the old stadium making it just a little harder to interact with the players, but I think that they did a tremendous job designing the new complex.”
To sum it up, the past seven years have been long awaited, but the inauguration of the Martha Parsons and Family Activities Complex stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication within the Mount Vernon Community School District. “You have people that want to put in championship effort and a community that supports that level of competition,” said Matt Thede. ‘I think that it is really important that facilities try to match that. I think that it is really important to continue to invest in education and to invest in the future and when I say that giving all students the opportunity to excel while they are in high school sets them up for a lifetime of excelling. If a school district is doing it right they should be preparing their kids well for the future.”
