Best Gyms in the State

[SnottieDrippen]

12 hours ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

Dang...how many gyms have nothing but individual seats like that instead of bleachers?

My first thought as well. I can’t imagine it’s a very big number, but I’d say it’s adequate for a small school like that. 

[Runcible Owl]

Paducah Tilghman's renovated Otis Dinning Gymnasium. Renamed for the Blue Tornado basketball coach in 2000. 

Coach Dinning's story is fascinating. His involvement in coaching Paducah school athletics started on the 1920s. Before winning 520 games at PT, he was head basketball, football, and track coach for the Washington Junior HS Orange Owls. Tilghman's nearly century old tradition of excellence in Track & Field can be traced directly to him too.

Where is Paducah Tilghman's gym located? At the corner of Washington Street and Otis Dinning Drive, of course.

[Smallhoops]

On 4/20/2021 at 10:04 AM, Runcible Owl said:

Good call on the gym at Villa Madonna. It's a little architectural gem.

The Villa Madonna gym is one of my favorites of those I have been to in the last few years.  The setting on the lake is awesome.  They did a really good job with it.

[Smallhoops]

15 hours ago, SnottieDrippen said:

Just came across these shots of the new gym in Eminence:

 

 

Looks great, but I can't imagine going to a game in Eminence without having my view of the game affected by the multiple posts in the stands.

[TheDeuce]

On 4/17/2021 at 7:58 AM, tcjkbt said:

Here is my recall and someone pease correct me if I wrong.

Fairdale has two gyms , side by side in the same building.  ...Valley has one and it is much bigger than either of Fairdale's.   Valley has elevated walkways on one end, maybe on both.   No seats at the ends of the floor.  There is some room to stand on the walkways but there are no seats and I don't think standing is really permitted---maybe for SRO events.    Not sure of Valley's seating capacity but I think I remember it was 3,000 +/-.

Yep, all this.  

Valley is much bigger and much nicer than both gyms at Fairdale. Of course it is several decades newer as well. Great place to watch a game, and a perfect venue for the 6th and 7th Region tourneys. Just wish it wasn't in Valley Station, LOL.

[Smallhoops]

9 minutes ago, TheDeuce said:

Yep, all this.  

Valley is much bigger and much nicer than both gyms at Fairdale. Of course it is several decades newer as well. Great place to watch a game, and a perfect venue for the 6th and 7th Region tourneys. Just wish it wasn't in Valley Station, LOL.

Agree with the comments on the Valley and Fairdale gyms.  Generally, high school gyms in Louisville fall into three categories.  A small group are newer gyms of some size.  Besides Valley, this group would include Ballard, Eastern, St. X and CAL.  All are very nice and comfortable.

The second group includes most of the other JCPS schools and are pretty similar in size and layout.  While some have unique attributes (I always enjoy seeing the large picture of Wes Unseld at Seneca, and I enjoy going to Central because of its rich basketball history), they are pretty similar.  

The third group consists of the smaller schools (mostly private), some of which are relatively new (Collegiate, Walden) while some are not so new.  Most of them have some interesting quirks.

Trinity's gym does not fit neatly into one of the three categories.  It is not very new (it still has posts that you must contend with when sitting in the upper level), but I always enjoy seeing a game there.

[gchs_uk9]

41 minutes ago, TheDeuce said:

Yep, all this.  

Valley is much bigger and much nicer than both gyms at Fairdale. Of course it is several decades newer as well. Great place to watch a game, and a perfect venue for the 6th and 7th Region tourneys. Just wish it wasn't in Valley Station, LOL.

I wish JCPS had built a gym in the 7th Region area similar to Valley. Maybe replace Seneca.

[TheDeuce]

Just now, gchs_uk9 said:

I wish JCPS had built a gym in the 7th Region area similar to Valley. Maybe replace Seneca.

I think JCPS could greatly benefit from a bigger gym that all JCPS schools can use. Not to mention, they could use it as a revenue source by renting it out for other events. 

[Willy the whale]

Marshall County, Graves County, and Hopkinsville High Schools are great here in Western Kentucky. Beautiful Gyms. 

[tcjkbt]

1 hour ago, Smallhoops said:

Agree with the comments on the Valley and Fairdale gyms.  Generally, high school gyms in Louisville fall into three categories.  A small group are newer gyms of some size.  Besides Valley, this group would include Ballard, Eastern, St. X and CAL.  All are very nice and comfortable.

The second group includes most of the other JCPS schools and are pretty similar in size and layout.  While some have unique attributes (I always enjoy seeing the large picture of Wes Unseld at Seneca, and I enjoy going to Central because of its rich basketball history), they are pretty similar.  

The third group consists of the smaller schools (mostly private), some of which are relatively new (Collegiate, Walden) while some are not so new.  Most of them have some interesting quirks.

Trinity's gym does not fit neatly into one of the three categories.  It is not very new (it still has posts that you must contend with when sitting in the upper level), but I always enjoy seeing a game there.

Atherton's gym was built in the early to mid-60s.   It has withstood the test of time quite well.   I suspect any  school in Jefferson County would like to have it as its own.   It is well integrated into the framework of the school buildings and the beautiful campus.

[Runcible Owl]

1 hour ago, Willy the whale said:

Marshall County, Graves County, and Hopkinsville High Schools are great here in Western Kentucky. Beautiful Gyms. 

Oldtomcat and The Flea Market shared some great pics of Graves, Mayfield, and Hoptown.

I agree with you on the Marshall County gym, it's a beauty - big, with wraparound seating, central scoreboard, and seat backs on the "club level." Usually a great game going on too.

[Bluesport]

On 4/14/2021 at 1:41 PM, Voice of Reason said:

There is only one reason CovCath would rank that high and it has nothing to do with the gym. There is nothing special about the gym facility that gets them that ranking IMO.

I'm aware.

[Runcible Owl]

The northernmost gym in the state is the home of the Dayton Greendevils. 

I can appreciate a small gym where every seat is close to the action. And if you like the All "A" Tournament, the late Stan Steidel's small school legacy was born here.

The gym at the "new" school looks rather plain on the inside and outside, but sometimes the devil is in the details.

[REALSPORT]

On 4/21/2021 at 4:02 PM, tcjkbt said:

Atherton's gym was built in the early to mid-60s.   It has withstood the test of time quite well.   I suspect any  school in Jefferson County would like to have it as its own.   It is well integrated into the framework of the school buildings and the beautiful campus.

It's been several years since I was in the Atherton gym but I remember it as a nice 60's era facility.  What I found interesting were the number of banners hanging for their championship teams... but all were over 20 years old.  Almost like it is the school that time forgot.  

[tcjkbt]

28 minutes ago, REALSPORT said:

It's been several years since I was in the Atherton gym but I remember it as a nice 60's era facility.  What I found interesting were the number of banners hanging for their championship teams... but all were over 20 years old.  Almost like it is the school that time forgot.  

Perhaps Atherton's most acclaimed players were All-American  Charlie Tyra (1950's)  and Rick Wilson (1980's....I believe), both of whom played at UL.    So, it's been a while, yes.   Charlie's son is the AD at UL.