Take a look at the new fieldhouse at ‘Hudsonville University’
Workers put the finishing touches on the new fieldhouse at Hudsonville High School on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).
HUDSONVILLE, Mich. - Brayden Szamrej was shooting jump shots in street clothes during his lunch period in an empty, cavernous new gym with the noise of construction crews putting the finishing touches on newest facility in West Michigan.
The senior will get to play the first basketball game in Hudsonville High School’s new fieldhouse on Friday night against Unity Christian.
“Everyone is super excited because no one has played in something like this before,” Szamrej said. “So we’re all hyped up.”
The Hudsonville community voted to fund a $26.5 million fieldhouse, which includes a weight room, four locker rooms, a four-lane running track and and wrestling room. It has a seating capacity of 3,700 and up to 5,000 with standing-room only.
“I was excited,” Athletic Director Ben Farkas said. “When I first got to Hudsonville (three years ago), the project was underway, in terms of what the structure was going to look like. Just knowing that the community was supporting something of this scope was pretty exciting.”
The massive facility looks more like a college than a high school. It easily could be called Hudsonville University.
“It’s as close as it gets to a college facility or arena,” Szamrej said. “With all the people that will be in here (for a basketball game), it’s gonna feel just like a college atmosphere. We saw it being built and we saw the process, but seeing the end product … it’s unreal to come in here to play in such a nice facility for us high schoolers.”
Farkas said Hudsonville plans to host postseason tournaments and summer travel sports.
“We’re hosting girls regionals for basketball (this season),” he said. “With our location and our capacity, we think it will be a nice venue for any MHSAA postseason event. I see us hosting some things like AAU tournaments, too.”
Hudsonville High School senior Brayden Szamrej is excited to play on the new basketball floor. (Photo | Lenny Padilla)
The Hudsonville area has grown like a weed in the past 25 years. In 1999, the high school had an enrollment of 1,159. Now it has just over 2,000.
“The driving force behind the new fieldhouse is that we couldn’t fit our entire student body in the current gym for an assembly,” Farkas said. “That seats about 1,800. This obviously doubles that. As big of a space as this is, we don’t fell like it is excessive because it is made for events beyond athletics. It wasn’t just made for a Tuesday night basketball. It’s made to be a central point for gatherings, for graduation and those type of things. It is massive, but we made it for our needs.”
Szamrej was excited to get on the floor for the first time.
“We had our first practice (on Wednesday) and it felt very empty,” he said. “It’s so big and you look around and there’s so much space. But it was good. The rims are a little stiff though.”
Hudsonville senior Brayden Szamrej shoots jump shots on his lunch break on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).
