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| 2/20/2010 8:00:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| Reeves |
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Board renames stadium after Reeves
The Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees unanimously agreed Thursday to rename the district's athletic complex off Parmer Lane in Austin after former athletic director Kelly Reeves.
Reeves served as the first head football coach of Westwood High School when the school opened in 1981 and served as RRISD athletic director from 1989 until 2005. During his time at RRISD, Reeves implemented artificial turf at Dragon Stadium at Round Rock High School, which decreased the wear and tear on the field believed to cause student injuries. He also limited field use to other student organizations such as marching bands, according to a Jan. 26 RRISD news release.
Former RRISD Chief Financial Officer Mike Jolly, who has served on a steering committee to get the name of the athletic complex changed in honor of Reeves, said Reeves had a big hand in the construction of the RRISD Athletic Complex.
When McNeil High School opened in 1992 and Stony Point High School opened in 1999, Reeves conducted studies regarding constructing an additional athletic complex and requested it be added to the 1999 RRISD bond election. He proposed a concrete stadium with artificial turf to provide relief at Dragon Stadium and at future middle schools. That allowed district officials to build practice fields only at future middle schools so middle school athletes could also play their games at the athletic complex, Jolly said.
"Kelly made sure the name complex was a part of the building instead of just stadium," Jolly said. "He wanted this facility to be for athletes and performers such as members of the band."
Community members in support of changing the name of the athletic complex in honor of Reeves and the athletic director who served before him, Joe Means, spoke at the board meeting Thursday. Means served as the RRISD athletic director from 1981 to 1989, said Means' daughter Linda Means Harris.
"At this time my dad and the high school coaches like Kelly Reeves led the district because of their commitment to seeing athletes succeed," Means Harris said.
The RRISD community relations office took feedback regarding renaming the athletic complex from the end of January until Feb. 11. As of Feb. 11, the office received 255 comments by fax, mail and e-mail. Of those comments, 224 people were in favor of naming the athletic complex after Kelly Reeves while eight people suggested naming the athletic complex after Joe Means and Kelly Reeves.
Trustee Glen Colby said he voted to name the complex after Reeves because of his involvement with the actual athletic complex.
"In our decision we are not saying one man has accomplished more than another but what really drew me in my decision is the integral part Kelly Reeves had in designing the athletic complex," Colby said.
Reeves received awards such as the 1996 Texas Athletic Director of the Year, the 1998 State Award of Merit from the Texas High School Athletic Director's Association and was elected to the Hall of Honor in 2000 by the Texas High School Athletic Director Association. He died Nov. 21 after a two-year battle with cancer. Reeves was 63.
Jolly is happy with the decision the school board made to move further with renaming the athletic complex.
"Kelly was so instrumental in forming the athletic complex," Jolly said. "Kelly would never ask for this but this is going to be such a celebration of his life. This is a tribute to the district and all the memories of the children in the district."
RRISD Superintendent Jesus Chavez supported the board's decision to rename the athletic complex after Reeves.
"When I see a suggestion to name a facility after an administrator it warms my heart," Chavez said. "It's always a great day when we can name a facility after an instructor."
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