Yeah, it’s got four walls, bleachers, its own unique sights and smells, and a finished hardwood floor. But a gymnasium is more than a place to play games, more than a space to stage athletic events.
A gym is a home, a venue for making memories, a setting for student-athletes to grow.
The Eastern Lebanon County School District recently completed some far-reaching renovations on its high school gymnasium. Beyond all the new shiny bells and whistles, it’s a way for ELCO to continue to provide its students with a first-rate educational experience and to serve the community.
“We’re involved in education-based athletics,” said Tommy Mealy, who’s been ELCO’s athletic director for more than two years. “A lot of kids seek those activities. We’re here to provide services. One of the biggest satisfactions for me as an athletic director is seeing smiles on student-athletes’ faces. There are a lot of things that go on here, from after that final bell rings into the evening.”
ELCO’s multi-million-dollar renovation gym renovation project was completed in early December. The first practices were conducted on Dec. 2, and then the following day, the Raiders’ boys’ basketball team officially christened the play by defeating Conrad Weiser 51-38 in both teams’ 2024-25 season openers.
The gymnasium renovation project was started in the middle of February 2024, after the end of last year’s winter sports season.
“This was a new facelift,” said Mealy. “There’s a very homey feel to it. At all of our home events, you see a lot of different faces. I’ve seen a lot of smiles, and I’ve heard a lot of comments. This is a very supportive athletic community.”
Certainly, there were challenges during the 10-month renovation project. Some of the high school’s physical education classes were conducted outdoors or in hallways, practices were moved and relocated, student-athletes did not have access to the weight room and during the fall season the Raiders’ girls’ volleyball team played all of its home matches within the confines of the ELCO middle school gymnasium.
“I credit a lot of the physical education teachers and coaches,” said Mealy. “We were dealt a number of challenges. We tried to get creative, but credit goes to the coaches because it wasn’t an easy process.”
Included in ELCO’s gym renovation project were new and slightly smaller bleacher area, six new basketball goals, new volleyball standards, a new gold and blue paint job, a redone weight room, refurbished locker rooms, a new athletic-history-inspired entrance and a new trophy case area.
The gym renovation project was part of a larger athletic project that included the installation of a new turf field at the ELCO football stadium in 2022 and the resurfacing and installation of a new track surrounding the football/soccer/field hockey field in May 2023.
“I think this was something needed for the kids and their day-to-day experiences in there,” said Mealy. “I’m happy for them and the coaches. They have a better gym to play in. They have a better weight room to lift in. The weight room is a big heart of the athletic program here.”
Like all local high school gymnasiums, ELCO’s is heavily used.
In addition to the physical education classes conducted there, the Raiders’ boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball, boys’ wrestling, girls’ wrestling, and girls’ volleyball teams all play home games in the gymnasium. From time to time, it also serves as a workout and practice space for almost every other interscholastic athletic program at the high school.
“It’s really a year-round, revolving door of events and activities,” said Mealy. “Some teams are doing year-round activities. We have a lot of youth activities there. Coaches are using it for open gyms. I also like to offer our facilities for District Three and PIAA events, when approved.
“One of the hardest parts of being an athletic director is scheduling gym time. There are so many requests for it.”
ELCO High School was built in the early 1960s and the current gymnasium configuration is believed to be part of that original construction. Mealy said he did not know the last time the high school gymnasium was renovated.
“Obviously, thousands of student-athletes have played there over the years,” he said. “There have been a lot of memories forged there. We’re just trying to make things better. Everything was renovated for the benefit of the kids. We want to create many more memories for the student-athletes, the coaches and the community.”
Questions about this story? Suggestions for a future LebTown article? Reach our newsroom using this contact form and we’ll do our best to get back to you.
Keep local news strong.
Cancel anytime.
Monthly
🌟 Annual
- Fewer ads
- Member newsletters
- Exclusive events
- All monthly benefits
- Most popular option
- Make a bigger impact
Already a member? Log in here to hide these messages
Local news is disappearing across America, but not in Lebanon County. Help keep it that way by supporting LebTown’s independent journalism. Your monthly or annual membership directly funds the reporting you value, or make a one-time contribution to power our newsroom. Cancel anytime.
