From the Bench: Project to Aid Student-Athletes Not in Public View with $65,000 Price Tag Finished at BHS
By Jeff Toquinto on June 09, 2024 from Sports Blog
For those wondering what has taken place, or will take place, to improve the already high standard of Bridgeport High School athletics, we have an answer for you. I think you’re going to like it.
A project that was spearheaded by BHS Principal Renee' Mathews is officially complete. And it is in the heart of the school.
A new, but non-descript door in the hallway between the gymnasium and the girls’ basketball locker room is the home to a brand-new weight 
room. The room for years was home to a studio utilized by the journalism department.
room. The room for years was home to a studio utilized by the journalism department.
“This has been in the works for a while. When I arrived last summer it was a project that Miss Mathews wanted to see completed,” said Bridgeport Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Tom Sears. “A lot of what you see done is the result of her efforts.”
What is done is a top-of-the-line new weight room facility. It is so new that it has a fresh carpet smell that likely will not last too long once the athletes begin utilizing it.
“Every square inch of the room has been remodeled,” said Sears. “It is super sharp.”
Super sharp is not hyperbole. The room is outfitted with free weights and equipment. There is new flooring and freshly painted walls. Dumbbells are available as well as medicine balls and various other items needed for getting the student-athletes game ready and in game shape.
There is one other nice feature. All the equpiment has the Indians mascot logo on it. It is definitely "super sharp."
For those wondering about needing the facility due to the existing weight room at Wayne Jamison Field and a weight room put in years ago in the girl’s basketball locker room, one is still there, and one is gone. The Jamison Field facility is a bit far of a hike for sports that practice inside the school’s gymnasium, and the one previously inside the girl’s locker room has been removed. That is the subject of a
future blog.
future blog.
“Just looking at our fall sports, volleyball will no longer need to go to the football field to lift weights and it is the same for winter sports and I’m sure spring sports teams may utilize it as well,” said Sears. “What it does is allow for the opportunity for student-athletes to partake in weightlifting without having to leave the building to do so.”
As one may expect, the project did not come for free. It also did not come with a cheap price tag.
Sears said the to do this project came in at $65,000. A nice chunk of the project was handled by a familiar group that has been doing good deeds for the student-athletes at BHS for decades.
“The (Bridgeport High School) All-Sports Boosters contributed $20,000 to the project,” said Sears. “Without their dedication and support, this would not have been possible.
“I really believe it’s important for the public to see that our boosters do so much through their work in the concession stand and with 
various fundraisers,” he continued. “Things such as the number of scholarships the provide and continually supporting projects like this new weight room can’t be overstated.”
various fundraisers,” he continued. “Things such as the number of scholarships the provide and continually supporting projects like this new weight room can’t be overstated.”
The school used its own available funds to cover the bulk of the rest of the project.
“We now have a new tool in a top-of-the-line weight room that is only going to help contribute and continue the success that is already in place,” said Sears. “This can be used by all of our student-athletes, and we anticipate more usage because this is much more convenient.”
As noted, more is on the way. And do not forget about the work being done on the Bridgeport Middle School facility at Jamison Field that is wrapping up. It is shaping up to be another good offseason for facilities at Bridgeport High School.
Editor's Note: Top photo shows Assistant Prinicipal and Athletic Director Tom Sears looking over some of the new equipment, while the next two images give a view of the room and the detailed equipment.
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