The rebuilding project for Grace Baptist Academy athletics will begin from the floor up. Literally.
The April 12 tornado that destroyed the school, including its gymnasium and athletic complex, did not dampen the resolve of coaches and school supporters. As a result, and with the help of the surrounding community, the Lady Eagles volleyball program will be the school's first team to return to competition, albeit in a temporary home with a sparkling new playing surface.
When school resumes in August, students will attend classes at Morris Hill Baptist Church, where the gym will serve as the home site for Grace's volleyball team as well as basketball practices.
Those indoor sports teams got a much-needed boost recently when Praters Flooring offered to loan one of its gym floors, which was being kept in storage, to cover the church's old rubberized court.
"The kids are beside themselves about having a new home to play," Grace volleyball coach Laurie McGinley said. "Everybody has been through so much since the storm. When you're a student-athlete, you spend more time at your school than your own house sometimes, so these kids saw their second home wiped out by the tornado. That, plus the coronavirus making it impossible for them to see each other and be around each other, has been really tough.
"We're hoping that sports can help bring our Grace community back. Home is not necessarily a place as much as it is being together with people you care about. We've had so many people be gracious since we lost our school, and to have a gym with such an incredibly nice floor to practice and play on has meant so much to the kids."
The new home court did not come without some anxious moments, however. It began when McGinley noticed there was no place in the old floor to mount the volleyball netting. Because the church's gym is located on the second floor, with only a few inches of concrete between the court and the first-floor ceiling, drilling holes to stabilize the nets would not be possible.
"At Grace we fundraise for everything we need, but getting money for nets in a facility we won't use for very long didn't make sense," McGinley said. "I was given a number to call to see what options we might have, and 45 minutes later I get a call back from Praters and they said they would help us get it done.
"I get emotional thinking about their kindness because they made it so comfortable. They were so eager to help, it made me feel like we weren't being a burden or having to ask for anything. But when they saw the floor at the church, they said it wouldn't work. My heart sank at first, but then they said they would just bring one of their floors that they have in storage for us to use."
With volunteer help from parents and some Grace faculty, including athletic director Bob Ateca, the new flooring was installed within a matter of hours.
"It was just a huge boost for our student-athletes and coaches," Ateca said. "It's been a struggle to find facilities for all our sports to use for practice or to have home games. Obviously, we're without a gym for the year, so to now not only have a home court but a really nice floor that we're allowed to use at no cost, to at least solidify a home for volleyball and basketball is just a really big deal."
Ateca added that the architectural renderings for the new academic and athletic buildings are complete and the plan is for construction to begin soon.
In the meantime, Grace's volleyball team will start practicing in its new home Monday, with the season set to begin Aug. 17 at Cleveland and the home opener scheduled for Aug. 25 against district foe Collegedale Academy.
"Even though we don't understand everything our school has had to go through, we're at peace with the fact that God has a plan," McGinley said. "The vibe of our team and our students is one of hope. We're all looking to the future."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.