Our sports facilities are second to none

As the spring sports seasons get under way, one thing will be apparent to anyone who attends baseball, softball or track contests in Vandalia.
That one thing is that Vandalia now has some of the best facilities in the area. It's notable because not long ago, all three of those facilities were among the worst that Vandal athletes encountered during their season.
In fact, the antiquated cinder track hadn't been improved for more than 50 years. And no teams – at least at the high school level – could be convinced to come here for meets. The junior high teams hosted a meet or two each year, but even those were iffy; a little rain and the dusty cinders quickly turned to a muddy quagmire.
What brought about the transformation? The generous, forward-looking people of our community.
For the baseball and softball diamonds, the rebirth came as a result of hard work and generous support by the Field of Dreams organization. That group has donated countless hours of work and thousands of dollars of donations to redo the fields, build new dugouts and erect new backstops. The new facilities are beautiful, and they actually allow the teams to play in less-than-ideal weather conditions.
The track, which was financed through donations and grants (not from the school budget), has significantly changed the face we present to visitors. Not only can we again host home track meets (the first will be next Thursday), but the facility allows our athletes to train in all kinds of weather.
Significantly, the track is not only for track athletes. It's also used extensively by physical education classes at the junior high and high school, and by athletes from other sports. Plus, it is available 24/7 for community members to use for safe, off-street walking. Its smooth, flat surface is especially helpful for the elderly and those doing rehabilitation work as they recover from injuries or surgery.
Though sports aren't the top priority for everyone, our entire community benefits from having first-rate facilities for our citizens – young and old – to use.
Check the schedule each week in the sports pages, and come out to watch our young people in action. You'll be impressed with what you see.
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