Josh Jones is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Mountain Pointe High School for AZPreps365.com

When you look good and feel good, you play good. That is exactly what Mountain Pointe Athletic Director Aaron Frana and the Mountain Pointe athletics department had in mind while the on-campus facilities were upgraded over the last year. A revamp of the weight room, new turf added to the football/soccer field and scoreboards being installed among all playing surfaces are the biggest improvements as of late.

The additions throughout campus have all been part of a bigger plan to attract more students and community members to Mountain Pointe as well as benefit current athletes and improve the overall atmosphere.

“This has definitely been the year of upgrading the athletic facilities,” said Mountain Pointe Athletics Assistant Mollie Wiley. “I personally think it has helped lift spirits.” 

The main field that hosts the soccer and football teams on campus received fresh turf last September. This installation was part of a district strategic plan that established turf fields at every high school in the Tempe Union High School District. The project took place over a three-year period by serving two schools at a time and involved a $4 million budget. Mountain Pointe was alongside Marcos de Niza High School as the last two to receive renovations.

The new turf field has opened doors for the athletic department and local clubs.

“We can now rent out our football field to camps and clinics, but in the past we didn’t because we didn’t want the grass to be dead by the fall,” said Frana.

Accompanying the turf football field is a brand-new scoreboard that was installed in March. This was one of many that were installed throughout campus from the baseball fields to the gymnasium. The baseball and softball scoreboards were funded by Arizona Tourism grants. The football field and gymnasium boards were district funded.

The new technology offers an enhanced look and feel to the facilities and has gotten the attention of current student athletes. A 20-foot scorer table was also added to the gym.

“Our players love it, they love seeing how many points they score for sure,” said Mountain Pointe basketball coach Kaimarr Price. “They feel like the administration and the school continues to care about athletics and that it's important.”

One of the biggest renovations involved the weight room in a $227,000 project with funding from a State Farm and Arizona Cardinals grant. New equipment and more space are available to student athletes which has made it easier to train varsity and junior varsity together for sports such as basketball. More student athletes have signed up for sports performance classes that are offered, due to the new weight room.

Frana’s next goal is to get a film room available above the weight room for all teams to utilize.

“Our biggest thing is trying to attract kids to come to Mountain Pointe,” said Frana. “It’s going to help us attract community members and our students into our facilities if they look nice and organized.”