The Foundation for Greatness

When you walk through the forest green double doors on the north side of the building, you are walking into a vault of triumph and emotion. During practice anyone can see the hard work, effort, and preparation for the upcoming games. Upon entrance to the gym on a game day, the exertion and focus –reflected in the waxed floors, the polished backboards, and the determined faces- hits you like a stray basketball. The waves of emotion can be almost strong enough to knock you out of the gym as soon as you enter. Be sure to hold on tight as you enter The Big House.

Ed Iacopi Gymnasium -named after a dedicated Casa basketball coach and father of the current freshmen head coach- is the foundation for a family. Ed coached for twenty years, and created many families during his great reign. Every Casa player is close to the next, and they work together as a bonded group. Respect, attitude, and effort make the gym what it is: a place to be close to one another. Our wonderful athletic director, Coach James Forni, continues to hold the bar high, and continues to set standards for our teams that paints the target on our backs as the team to beat, and continues to make our wonderful hardwood gym the arena of champions.

The south inside wall of the tall building is covered with the victories that our school has shared. Pennants from a wide variety of sports display the competitiveness of our school, and the pride we have in our achievements. The gym is a place where people gather, where many competitive events take place, and where important items are sheltered from the weather. This makes it an ideal location for the home of accomplished goals, such as placing in tournaments and being victorious. Six baskets can be lowered down –at an irritatingly slow pace- to provide multiple baskets to shoot on during practice. Contrary to a stadium designed for intense games with onlookers covering the area from wall to wall, the Casa gym is a place to practice skills and moves before applying them in a game setting. The Gauchos pride themselves at going hard for the whole duration of practice, and the extra baskets eliminate time waiting for the hoop to become available.

The gym has provided the determined with a way to get better, with opportunities, with hope of being great, with the chance to win championships. Development is a big deal at the Big House. The gym provides those who are willing with the chance to get an early start at becoming a part of the family. Over the summer, incoming ninth graders can join the rest of the committed Gaucho basketball players in the weight room and gym, where they can hone their skills in preparation for upcoming team tryouts. Even the student-athletes who are not the most physically talented of the bunch can show commitment to the team and family. I, myself, had the opportunity to be on the freshman team last year due to my dedication and willingness to become a part of the Big House family over the summer.

Basketball games always have a large amount of people in attendance. The action packed intensity draws various parents and students in along with the usual crowd of fans. Players dribble and pass and cut, screen and pick and roll, dodge and catch and move their feet, jump up and shoot the ball and score. Meanwhile the fans cheer and shout and yell, stomp feet and clap hands and wave signs. The fan base is a large group of people who are generally inspired by the teamwork and respect for our teammates, our opponents, the coaches, referees, parents, and especially the game itself. Good eyed, quick fingered, and fast footed- journalism students make sure to capture every epic moment of each game.

Very recently, along the previously blank walls, is stenciled in large green lettering with gold trim: WELCOME TO THE BIG HOUSE. This identifier tells any onlooker more than a simple "you are here" sign would reveal. Each word in itself has its own special meaning. "WELCOME" shows hospitality and respect to the traveling team and guests. "BIG" is our spirit, our pride, our love for the game, our will to win. The final word "HOUSE" implies the place of comfort where anyone can come to hang out, to spend some free time, and to be a part of the Casa family.

You can take the family out of the gym, but you can't take the gym out of the family. Each one of the defensive walls an opponent breaks through, creates a stronger base for a new, tougher foundation to be built upon. This is a program that considers a huge victory to be a loss, while a close loss, a victory. A better team provides the opportunity to become greater ourselves, while a complete dominance over the opposing team causes a decrease in the will to push each other to our physical limits in order to strengthen our skills. Ed Iacopi Gymnasium houses a family consisting of members that are unalike on the outside, but all have the same fire burning inside of them. We are determined, we are willing, we are going to fight until the end, we are the Big House.

-(1st Period) Nate B