The newly opened Chieftain Center sits on the campus of Logan High School. The facility is 86,080 square feet of usable space. Currently there are over 1,000 people who have filled out the paperwork to utilize the facility; these people consist of students throughout Logan Hocking School District, as well as over 650 adult members of the community.
Inside of the facility are four full sized basketball courts that are also striped and ready for volleyball and tennis. There is a turf room which houses baseball, softball, soccer and football off season training as well as provides a place for local club teams to get training in during the club season.
It is not uncommon to see over 120 people a night in the facility playing pick-up basketball, organized groups playing full scale games, local organizations such as Hocking Valley Industries (local MRDD) having games on the courts. Volleyball is another big component to this facility in which the school’s varsity teams practice off season training as well as local pick-up games, and club tournaments.
Tennis is fairly popular in the area so when the school varsity teams are not playing on the courts, there are plenty of opportunities for court time in the evenings as well as pickleball. Netting can be dropped around two of the courts so balls are not flying out and interfering with those in other areas, such as on the track.
Students have a student union in the upstairs of the facility that is fully equipped with gaming systems, foosball, air hockey, arcade style games, table tennis and a full eight-rack weight room. This allows Logan Hocking students to have a safe place to go after school to hang out as well as get extra academic help through the help of a staff of tutors.
Some events already hosted include track meets, basketball previews and indoor soccer tournaments. Looking further, the Chieftain Center has scheduled events that include club volleyball tournaments, Ohio Youth Basketball tournaments, OAC state qualifying wrestling, district umpire clinics and track meets for high school as well as NCAA and much more.
The Chieftain Center staff is working with local agencies such as Hocking County EMS, State park officers, and other first responders not just in the community but outside to host rope training for repelling and extraction. The local theatre department is going to be doing a seminar in the facility as well. The facility has added to the district not just by increasing its desirability as a place to go to school but by giving community members a center.
The Chieftain Center hosts multiple non-sports programming including a non-branch-specific ROTC program known as “Cadet Corps” and a digital academy of 62 students. This program is designed for kids who want or need fully online learning; it features a six-hour mandatory seat time in which students are in the room working and receiving help from teachers to help them finish the curriculum and receive their diploma.
Another facet of the Chieftain Center is its broadcast room in which a student are able to help operate the scoreboard at football games showing graphics, videos and replays, all while providing real world experience for anyone that is interested in pursuing that career path.
The Chieftain Center has provided more than was even originally imagined as far as connecting with people and teaching the kids and community that Hocking Hills and not just Logan Hocking School District can gain something from having this unique opportunity.
Local businesses have already experienced this with the hosting of the inaugural “Spike Fest” last July. The district made $7,500 while at the same time pumping $25,000 back into the local economy through restaurants, hotels and other services
There is much to experience in this area of the state and it is traveled by millions annually. The hope and vision of the Chieftain Center staff is to get people to not just get off the State route 664 exit, to go to the state parks but to also get them to come into the community and see what is available to them, and to witness what makes it a special place.
There are no comments
Please login to post comments