In my most recent Alamo Stadium BLOG, I told you that I emailed the San Antonio Independent School District athletic office. I didn’t really know what to expect and when I saw a reply (almost immediate I must say) from the Assistant Athletic Director, Brian Clancy, I was shocked but also very happy. After several emails back and forth, we set a date and a time for a “site visit” last Thursday at 4:00 pm. Sweet!!! I am gonna get some exclusive never before seen pictures!!!
I am very fortunate that in all of my past jobs and even my current job at Chase Bank, I have always had very nice managers when it comes to accommodating me and my football schedule. I was actually considering going to work at 7:00 am that day and leave at 3:30 pm (but I didn’t want to get up at 5:45 am), so I got the OK from my manager to leave 2 hours early (thanks Trent aka T-Bowe…I told my manager I would mention him, so there it is!!!) which would be 3:30 pm and it would be plenty of time to meet Brian at the stadium at 4:00 pm.
Having three weeks of vacation is one of the benefits I got at Chase Bank. I use the majority of my vacation days throughout the High School football season and already got several Friday’s off this season. Trent, has already OK’d my slight schedule change so I can get off work at 5:00 pm starting August 26th (to me and a bunch of High School football groupies, this is Week 0)!!!
Man, I was so excited all day last Thursday…I kept glancing at the clock waiting for 3:30 pm. I am always amazed at how I work all day and then “flip a switch and do stats for High School football games or be a photographer and blogger like I did last Thursday.” I wrote a BLOG post last December and dove into more detail of how I do this and it was also featured on my mother-in-laws BLOG a few days later.
So, when my clock at work showed 3:30, I flew out of work so fast, I think I left a dust trail!!! I did stop at Trent’s desk (I mentioned you three times) to say good night and tell him where I was going again cause I wanted him and all of my co-workers to know!!! I like to brag!!
I arrived at the stadium at the same time as Brian and he had to grab me a hardhat and a vest. OMG, it is really happening and I felt like royalty!! This is so awesome and great for me and my BLOG!!!
We went to the gym first and I actually haven’t been in the convocation center gym since my High School days (1991-1995). My most memorable game at the convocation center was a few years earlier in 1989 as I saw Shaquille O’Neal play (this was in-between his Senior year of High School and Freshmen year at LSU) for a group of San Antonio all-stars that won the AAU 19-and under national championship at that gym. Shaq was very intimidating because of his size.
Flash forward 24 years and that same HISTORIC gym is currently under major renovation. It should be completed by October or November if there aren’t any delays.
Brian Clancy, me, and Tripp Nettles (he is the construction superintendent and that is really his name) went into the hot, dark, and scaffolding gymnasium and they pointed out the new layout for me. I even got to climb on the scaffolding (it was safe Mom) and got some great shots from above!!! So, as I was leaving the gym, I gave Tripp my business card and he gave me his…that was pretty cool!!!
Brian and I then took a very short journey to the visitor’s side of Alamo stadium. Brian told me the stadium should be ready by April of 2014 if there aren’t any delays, a new turf and track will be installed, and they are also planning on getting a new scoreboard. Part of the renovation also includes a new press-box, locker rooms, bathrooms, and concession stands. Oh, the seating capacity will be 18,500 when completed.
I really want to say thanks again to Brian Clancy who set this whole thing up for me. I am definitely planning on another “site visit” before the football season starts.
I really hope and want to see Alamo stadium get playoff games instead of the Alamodome. I know the kids like playing indoors and you can pack the Dome with fans, but there ain’t nothing better than a football game in November and December outdoors at a newly renovated facility like the ROCK-PILE!!!
Texas Bob provided me a copy of the National Register of Historic Places application for Alamo stadium and there are several construction photos of both the football stadium and basketball gym under construction in 1940. Thanks a bunch Bob!!! Texas Bob is the GURU for Texas High School football stadiums; he wrote a guest blog for me last year about the Texas Football Stadium Hall of Fame.
