When plans for Highland’s new building were unveiled, it became clear that being an athlete during this process would be much more difficult.
The new Highland building will be predominantly where the north parking lot currently is, up against 2100 South. The side effect of this is that so much of Highland’s campus will be taken over by construction. This makes it difficult for sports teams to practice, especially when some fields, and courts, are being renovated.
This sparked the idea for a new sports complex off campus. Highland now has access to a new sports complex where SPA used to be, less than a mile east of the school. The Rosslyn Heights Sports Complex consists of a new turf field, six brand new tennis courts, new bathrooms, and storage.
“As we grew the plans to rebuild Highland, there was not a location for our sports teams to be housed, so it kind of grew out of the necessity of construction,” Highland athletics director Swede Robinson said. “Once we started those conversations, they decided to grow it into a pretty nice complex.”
The courts at the complex will obviously be used by the tennis team, and the turf field is going to primarily be used by Highland soccer and lacrosse teams. The girls’ tennis team has been using the new courts since July, while the soccer team is still waiting for the turf to be finished.
So far, the tennis team has really enjoyed the new courts and the accommodations that come with them.
“We love having brand new courts! Having six instead of four gives us more opportunities for team bonding because we used to have to split up the different teams,” girls’ tennis captain Ella Snow said. “The girls also get more time to play during practice, which has improved our team and allowed new girls to get more experience.”
Along with the new courts, there is a shed for storage, and new bathrooms right next to the courts.
“The old courts were just old and falling apart sadly, so having a reliable place to play is so nice,” girls’ tennis captain Addie Diamond said. “The accommodations that come with the facility are super awesome too.”
The turf field is playable, but the facility is still undergoing some final construction before it is ready for use. The plan is to get girls soccer on the field as soon as it is done, and they are ready and waiting.
The girls soccer team has been on the same field for decades. Players complain about the uneven grass, plus it is also being used by Highland little league football teams so the turf is constantly torn up. Plus, there are lines drawn for football across the field, which is not ideal for soccer games.
“The new field is turf so it will be much nicer to play on,” girls soccer captain Blythe Earl said. “We won’t have to worry about it being bumpy or dry like the current one is.”
The current field at Highland has a little shed close by, but it is nothing like the new facility they will have access too at the Rosslyn complex.
“The new field has a very nice facility with close bathrooms and locker rooms, as well as more room for spectators to sit and watch,” Earl said.
Going forward the plan is for all soccer and lacrosse teams to call the Rosslyn turf home, and the boys tennis team will also play their season in the spring on the new courts. Highland technically doesn’t own the facility, but during construction Highland sports get priority to the facility over any other school.
After construction is finished, the plan is to have a new soccer field and tennis courts on the Highland campus. The complex will still likely be used for practices and maybe even games if the other fields are occupied.
“It is especially useful for us during the construction,” Robinson said. “It relieves the effect of how we house our teams and manage competition and practice.”
