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Oct 03, 2023

PHS gym floor may not be ready until at least September

The Parker Broncs’ volleyball team is seen in action at Irataba Hall during the 2022 season. Damage to the floor at the PHS gym led to their playing their home matches at Irataba Hall. With a new

The Parker Broncs’ volleyball team is seen in action at Irataba Hall during the 2022 season. Damage to the floor at the PHS gym led to their playing their home matches at Irataba Hall. With a new floor being installed in the gym, they will be practicing and playing their home matches at Irataba Hall for the start of the 2023 season.

Work on installing the new gym floor at Parker High School has been delayed. Parker Schools Superintendent Brad Sale said the contractor, Arizona Gym Floors, had brought the unassembled new floor to Parker, but they retrieved it last week. Sale said they were storing the floor outside, and there were fears it could be damaged by rain.

Sale said the completion date has been pushed back to September. This is half-a-month later than they had originally anticipated.

Until the new floor is installed, the Parker Broncs girls’ volleyball team will be practicing and playing their games at Irataba Hall in the Colorado River Indian Tribes’ office complex.

The latest delays began after the old floor and subfloor had been removed. It was determined the concrete surface was uneven and would have to be sanded level. The district and the contractor are waiting for this work to be done.

The situation has proven frustrating for the district and the contractor.

“I’ve been promised by Arizona Gym Floors they will be out as soon as the floor is levelled,” Sale said.

The need for a new gym floor became apparent at the start of the 2022-23 school year, when a section of the gym floor was damaged by a leaky air conditioning unit the weekend before school started. Sale said the floor was the same one installed when the gym was built. A check of the Pioneer archives showed the gym was built in 1981 and ’82.

Among other problems, the floor had become so thin, it could no longer be sanded as part of its maintenance.

Sale said the floor would be similar to the one for the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury. The subfloor will be attached to the concrete. There will be a layer of padding between the subfloor and the main floor that will add cushioning and also keep out moisture. The main floor will not be nailed together but will consist of interlocking pieces.

Sale said the entire cost is estimated at $201,000. It’s being handled under the Mohave Cooperative Purchasing Contract, and it’s being paid for through a combination of impact aid and capital funds.

The damage to the gym floor in 2022 meant the Parker Broncs volleyball team meant they couldn’t play their home matches in the gym. They played at Irataba Hall after arrangements were made with CRIT. With the floor still being worked on, they’ll be playing their home matches and practicing there at the start of their season.

Head volleyball Coach Marie Maya said no one is happy with the situation, but they need to make the best of it.

“We need to hope for the best,” she said. “It’ll be okay.”

The Broncs begin practicing on Aug. 7. They will start their season Aug. 24 at home against Lee Williams.

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