Leesburg High School has officially begun an overhaul of its gym. The project began a few days ago as the gym gets much needed upgrades. The biggest upgrade will be the playing surface. The wood floor was at the end of its lifespan and a newly renovated court will take its place. Crews began stripping the gloss and pain off the surface of the floor which has not had a renovation this extensive in decades.

“One final look at the old Yellow Jacket floor as the equipment to strip it’s identity and remodel the floor sits ready to be used”

The floor has been a staple of Leesburg High for a very long time. Countless students and alumni have called the court home and now the gym gets a new lease on life. Unlike many other schools who would just knock the building down and start with a brand new gym, Leesburg is rich with history and tradition. The plan is to renovate the gym so it can have many more years in front of it.

The floor was a throwback to many of the early gyms in Central Florida. The gym goes back to the late 1970s and 1980s. The floor will be completely redone and painted to reflect the modern times. “Its a bit sad to see the old floor go said Shawnee C who graduated in 2014. But I know that future kids will be able to enjoy the court under the same roof like many classes before. I look forward to what the newly renovated gym will look like.”

(This is how a completely stripped gym floor looks. Before it’s given a shine and polish the floor looks bare. The new design will be much more modern while keeping the classic Leesburg High aesthetic.)

The court will have a nice new finish come the summer time. The current floor was marked up and the gloss finish was almost non existant this year. The floor barely made it through the 2023 season but it held out long enough. The biggest challenge will be that Leesburg will be without a gym for a little while during the renovation. Overall the finished product is going to look terrific. The project will be done before the fall sports season.

The gym will also get updated championship banners, a fresh coat of paint and some other minor cosmetic changes that fans will be less inclined to notice. One thing that is being changed is the audio system. Athletic Director Spencer Hey told us that a brand new audio system shouuld be in place next year which should help the acoustics immensly.

(Crews work on the final pass to remove the old gym top coat. The gym is now completely bare down to the original wood. The 2016 and 2017 state championship teams played on the old floor.)

We wish the Yellow Jackets the best of luck on the renovation project and we are excited to see the finished project soon!