Not far off Loop 303, a new high school has risen in the West Valley desert. Goodyear High School opened Monday and is home to an array of sports programs in the Agua Fria Union High School District. To get there, athletes took advantage of other facilities in the summer as they prepared for the fall season.
Incoming freshmen trained at locations across Goodyear due to the school’s continuing construction. Summer workouts were scattered at various facilities including the Goodyear Ballpark, Desert Thunder Elementary School, Tres Rios Golf Course, Goodyear Recreation Campus, Falcon Park, Foothills Community Park and Wildflower School.
“Thanks to the city of Goodyear, Goodyear Parks and Recreation for helping us out with these facilities,” said Goodyear High School principal and athletic director Jason Linn, who expressed his appreciation of local facilities helping the Mavericks athletics program. “Also, the Avondale School District for helping to get us up and running, having a gym and to let those kids workout. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to do it here, and our kids would be a little bit behind.”
Goodyear High School opened Monday, only to freshmen. It has more than 300 students enrolled, alleviating sister schools Desert Edge, Verrado and Canyon View with enrollment and reducing class sizes.
Because only freshmen will be starting this fall, the Arizona Interscholastic Association classifies Goodyear High as 4A. Team sports will compete against other junior varsity and freshman teams, while individual sports will compete against schools regardless of grade level, Linn said. This means that Goodyear’s freshmen class could compete against juniors and seniors, depending on the sport. However, there is less of a concern for individual sports as there is little to no physical contact.
Despite the hecticness that came with preparing for the opening, Linn feels ready thanks to his previous experience at Desert Edge High School, where he served as assistant principal and athletic director for 15 years.
“Our goal at Goodyear High School, both academically and athletically, is to create an environment for our kids to have a great experience,” Linn said. “As far as athletics goes, the big piece I think, is setting the stone for the legacy we want to create.”
At Goodyear Recreation Campus, Goodyear girls flag football coach Robynn Lee and her staff prepared their athletes for their first game on Sep. 15 against Canyon View.
“Our goal is to have the girls leave the program better than when they came in,” Lee said. “So we’re going to be doing volunteering, we’re going to be doing community service. We’re going to build each other up as a sisterhood versus just competing against each other.”
With her love for flag football, Lee embraced the opportunity to be a coach for Goodyear’s inaugural season. She said that she would have played flag football, a sport that is exploding across the country, if it had been an option at the time. Lee worked within the Agua Fria district when she was hired and is excited to be a part of the school’s grand opening with the opportunity to help grow the sport.
“I’ve been building a family atmosphere for the girls and really honing in on the idea of a community,” Lee said. “So bringing in this group of girls is great, but we want their whole families to be connected. We want our Goodyear community to be connected. So as a whole, I think it’s just elevated that legacy together.”
The incoming freshmen are excited for their first season, especially since they will be the first class to enjoy the school’s brand new facilities. With large locker rooms, training fields and a football field that flashes blue and green lights for touchdowns, the athletes are hyped.
One of the players, Mia Martinez, already knew Lee before joining the team. Martinez’s father was a former student of Lee’s, so he knew his daughter would be in good hands. Martinez said she joined the team because her father loved football.
“This program will help when we go to high school because none of the other girls are doing this,” Martinez said. “Being out here and practicing during the summer (helps) us all improve and get better so we can be better in football and as teammates.”
Neveah “Speedy” Cordova, another incoming Mavericks player, was grateful for the opportunity to be a part of a team after spending most of her academic career during the last three years as an online student. The opportunity to play flag football allows her to socialize and become a more well-rounded person.
“I’m trying to lead a legacy,” Cordova said. “I want to create history for everybody and I want my name to be known for everybody in the future.”
In less than four weeks, the Mavericks will host their first football game against Canyon View Aug. 27, debuting their newly built facilities.