Because of the new drainage pond taking over the three practice fields near the new gym, coaches and players have had to make adjustments when finding places to train this spring.

“We were flexible,” soccer coach Christian Boehm said. “There’s not much we can do about it, you know? We’re just going to roll with the punches and do what we can.”

Due to the addition of new buildings to the school, the City of Houston’s code requires the area where the practice fields are to be lowered approximately eight inches. This is to help  prevent possible flooding. Over winter break, the work to drop the fields began, taking away practice space for the remainder of the school year. 

“I always tell my girls to always be adaptable because the weather changes all the time,” girls soccer coach Jess White said. “If I preach flexibility, I need to be an example of it as well.”

The practice fields, which now resemble a drainage pond each time it rains, will eventually return to normal with grass being added and the addition of storm drains. Principal Wes Solomon said the fields will be back in operation late summer. Until then, soccer, football and track have to adapt to the situation by sharing the turf track and field.

“Everything is predicated around weather and especially when you’re talking about grass because you can only plant grass in certain times of the year,” Solomon said. 

White and Boehm sat down and made a schedule when each of their teams will have the turf field, and the times when they will share it and practice simultaneously. They also take advantage of the new third gym and the off-campus recreational fields located on the hill behind the football field.    

“There’s always growing pains when you do these kinds of things, and it’s just something we help each other get through,” White said. 

Maddie Glenn and Grace Darcy contributed to the reporting in this story.