A pair of Southern Connecticut Conference high schools will be forced to take their seasons on the road this season due to incomplete athletics facilities.
Shelton and Hamden High Schools are both awaiting completion of facilities projects that will directly affect where their teams practice, play games and hold swim meets.
According to the New Haven Register, Shelton’s Finn Stadium is receiving new a track, turf, lighting system, fence and pavement with the stadium area. As a result, Shelton’s first two football games, which were supposed to be played at home, will be played away. The work on the stadium will also affect Shelton’s boys’ and girls’ soccer teams, as a number of their games will need to be rescheduled as well.
“It’s looking like a showcase facility,” said Shelton athletic director John Niski. “We are grateful for everyone’s patience and working with other schools to reschedule games and make those adjustments. It’s one of those benefits being in this league and the business.”
The work on Finn Stadium is expected to be completed by the end of September.
Hamden High School is awaiting the completion of a new swimming pool, which could put both the fall girls’ season, as well as the winter boys’ season in jeopardy.
“We need to make sure we do this project right. It’s not just our pool, it’s a big part of the community,” said Hamden athletic director Tom Dyer. “Is this ideal for our programs? Absolutely not. But at the same time, when the project gets done, it will be an exceptional pool and we will host some state and SCC events yet again.”
The swim teams are currently practicing at the local Hamden YMCA.
