Olympia High reveals resurfaced gym floor with distinct look

LAKE BUTLER Try as she might to keep it under wraps, Lauren Bradley knew she had to let the cat out of the bag.

As rumors began to circulate among students at Olympia High that something was going on with the gym floor, Bradley, the school’s athletic director, decided to put an end to the weeks of secrecy that were involved with resurfacing the court and giving it one of the most distinct looks in Central Florida.

On July 20, Bradley posted a photo and explanation for the Titans’ new home floor to olympiahighschoolathletics.com and the school’s social-media accounts. The new gym floor is instantly unique, with a charcoal-black stain accentuating everything outside of the two three-point lines and a teal lightning bolt through the school’s signature “O” at center court.

The ensuing buzz that followed culminated a process that dated back to March, when Principal Guy Swenson came to Bradley with the suggestion the school do something a little crazy.

“It was like, ‘Let’s go big,’” Bradley said. “It really started with (Swenson) and wanting to create something fun and exciting for the school and the community.”

Bradley said students in the school’s art department were consulted and helped create the design, which went through various iterations. A darker shade of black was considered, but concerns about how that would look with the black bleachers already in place in the gym nudged those involved to opt for the charcoal look that was ultimately selected.

On Aug. 1, the Titans volleyball team held its tryouts for the fall season, marking the first official action on the resurfaced hardwood.

“I was really excited when I saw it,” said Morgan Given, a senior for the Titans. “We’re the first team that gets to break it in.”

The resurfacing of the court, which was led by Trident Surfacing, is part of a couple investments the school is hoping to make in its athletics programs. Bradley says a renovation to the weight room is likely next.

The stained look is reminiscent of a design employed by the UCF basketball program at the CFE Arena. The Master’s Academy in Oviedo also has a black floor, though that floor is a darker shade of black.

And although it was expected that the school’s student-athletes would be pumped up about the new floor, Bradley mentioned that even some unexpected faces were clamoring to get a look.

“A lot of the teachers that I wouldn’t think would be interested in seeing the gym, we had like 20 teachers wanting to come in and look at it,” Bradley said.

Contact Steven Ryzewski at [email protected].