Poor design leaves a fan disappointed
I attended a middle school basketball game Nov. 12 at Westwood Building 3. What a disappointment. This was the first time I was in this building, and it is inadequate for spectators.
There are four courts, and at each court, there are two small bleachers with two rows on each. The team has family and friends attending the games to root them on, and there was not enough room for people to sit or stand. The walkway provided behind the bleachers is very narrow, and when you stand behind the bleachers, people cannot get through.
Behind Court 4, there is also a concession stand that people are trying to reach, but there is so much congestion, it is easier just to forget about getting something to eat.
At half time, I went up to the balcony above, hoping to get to see the game better, and that was even worse than below. People sat on regular chairs close to the railing and had to put their faces in the railing to see the basket directly below them. Standing behind them, I could not see that end of the court.
The courts are so close together that when the referees blow their whistles, the players on the other courts would stop and look to see whether they had committed a foul.
This building may be adequate for practices, but whoever designed it for spectator sports did not think about the limited space available for the public to observe the players.
I don’t know why Sterling Challand Junior High School had the basketball game at Westwood when they have a large gym and lots of bleachers.
