SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. - With two provincial titles under her belt, Emma Dibling is finally getting the chance to practise on a track and field surface at Three Oaks Senior High School.
“It will be nice to have practice at an actual track facility. When we throw discus, shot put or javelin, we had to schedule it around rugby practice because we throw into the field. We didn’t have the opportunity to properly enter a circle or a run up; now we will.”
Dibling has been participating in track and field events since Grade 10.
“Every year when we get to UPEI for provincials, the first thing we’d have to learn is how to enter and exit a throwing circle or properly run up or mark a jump. I’m really looking forward to having a place to practise my footwork which is more than half the work.”
Construction on the new outdoor track facility began earlier this fall and is expected to be completed before the 2018 track and field season begins.
“It was something we had in our initial plan for the school renovations,” said Jeff Clow, the principal of TOSH.
“It’s certainly time for an upgrade. The old track wasn’t suitable for anything. It was constantly flooding and swampy.”
Jennifer Halupa, one of the school’s track and field coaches, agreed.
“It was swampy right until June. You can’t throw unless you’re standing in a puddle.”
“It will be nice to have a facility where I can actually coach the track students and field students at the same time. Right now I kind of have to send them on a run and say turn around when you get to this point. Now they’ll be able to train for sprints, split times and get an idea of what the distance really is. We’ll have a specific area where we can actually train properly, which will be a first for a lot of students.” - Jennifer Halupa
The construction for the new track facility will mean a better drainage system to ensure the site doesn’t flood, with the area being raised up about three feet. Throwing areas for javelin, shot put and discus and jumping pits for long jump and triple jump will be added.
Halupa hopes the new track facility will draw more students to the sport.
When she was a high school student, her community received a new track and field facility. She hopes the new facility at TOSH will garner the same result.
“When we got a new track, we really saw a big change in the amount of kids participating.
“It will be nice to have a facility where I can actually coach the track students and field students at the same time. Right now I kind of have to send them on a run and say turn around when you get to this point. Now they’ll be able to train for sprints, split times and get an idea of what the distance really is. We’ll have a specific area where we can actually train properly, which will be a first for a lot of students.”
She added, “In my Grade 12 year we organized a fun day for the elementary school and they all came down to the track and participated in events. With the new facility here at TOSH, Summerside elementary schools could do the same, or if they needed to host zone meets, they could do them here too.
“Track and field is one of those sports where there is something for everyone. I hope the new facility will see more returning and new students to the sport.”
Clow agreed.
“I see it as a community piece. This is all about healthy lifestyles in our students and members of the community. It’s like having our black box theatre; we don’t want it to sit idle. We want people to use it. I know students are already planning next year’s Relay for Life. It will be great to have a facility like this for it and other community events. We want everyone to be able to use it.”
