Buffington Unveils Plans to Renovate Bridgeport Middle School Football Locker Room Area
By Chris Johnson on January 25, 2024
Wayne Jamison Field and the facilities surrounding it have seen substantial improvements in recent years.
From the new weight room and press box to the track and field building and throwing areas, Bridgeport has some of the best athletic-related facilities in the state.
Bridgeport Middle School head football coach Robbie Buffington would like to see that continue and apply to another building.
The area used for BMS football – in the building between the weight room and the new bathrooms – is in need of an upgrade and Buffington has launched a fund-raising effort to renovate the building.
The Braves’ locker room is in the back part of the building, which is also the area used by opponents for the high school team as well as the BHS girls track and field team. BHS girls soccer uses the front area.
There’s an upstairs area that Buffington uses for a combination office-storage area-film room.
Buffington has a goal of seeing several improvements made, some small, some a little bigger. One of the first things he is attempting to get done is having lockers (like the high school team has) installed and building a new coaches office and storage area adjacent to the locker area where the players would dress.
“It’s the oldest building down there,” Buffington said. “The front part of the building was there and the back end of it is newer, it was built on in the 70s.
“Our benches are 2x4s, 2x6s, screwed together,” Buffington said. “A few of them are broken. Stuff has been stolen. If we play Thursday, we take our stuff home so it’s clear for Friday. Some of our equipment we can’t take up and down the stairs every time so we tuck it away in a corner downstairs.
“We’ve been putting lipstick on a pig for years. It’s such a nice area, the concrete floor is in great shape. It could look like a million bucks if we do it right. There is so much nice room there but nothing has ever been done to it.”
Buffington isn’t asking the school system for a dime and would like to raise funds privately with the help of the community.
“That’s my thoughts, this is the community’s kids in here,” he said. “Let’s build this for them.”
Buffington said about six years ago the roof started leaking in five different spots and they would have to use buckets in the locker room when it would rain. The roof finally got fixed but there are still some areas with black mold.
Cleaning up the walls, a good paint job (Buffington said it was last painted by he and Phil Nicewarner more than 10 years ago), replacing the original shelving still in use, bolts in the walls that are falling off, patch work, an exhaust fan or some sort of HVAC unit to help with how hot it gets in there and getting internet installed are some of the others that need addressed.
“I’d like to get the lockers done and go from there,” Buffington said. “I’ve never gone out to the public and asked for financial support like this is going to take before. The lockers themselves will cost anywhere between 35 and 40 thousand dollars.
“I need a percentage for the down payment and it’s an eight-week turnaround. I’m looking at the middle of June, a little bit after graduation. I’m going to count back eight weeks and say, ‘This is when we have to have the money by.”
If interested in donating to the renovation project – financially, or otherwise – contact Buffington at 304-641-6687.
A flyer with the proposed floor plan of what the new locker room area would look like can be seen below.
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