Memories of a Football Stadium

Because of the flooded fields in Garden Plain on Friday night, the game with CHS was moved to Gowans Stadium in Hutchinson. When I heard this news I thought that we should go.

The game was going to be held at a football stadium that I was very familiar with. When I went to HS and Jr. College we played in this very same stadium. I hadn't been there in thirty-three years.

Things had changed over there at Gowans stadium and the Jr. College since I was last there. The Jr. College plowed up some of their tennis courts in order to make room for a fountain and a little pond (toward the north end of the football field). Very pretty, yet very different. The college also added a clock which we heard constantly chiming every fifteen minutes. Pretty distracting stuff. The city of Hutchinson made the stadium pretty nice since I was last there. It looks more like a college stadium rather than just a high school field.

As we entered the field our team's fans were sitting on the east side. That side hadn't changed at all. We sat upon the wooden bleachers and I thought about times past. I started to think about when I was a student sitting in those very same bleachers.

Our pep club was called "Briny Birds," and we had to wear these one piece blue outfits with a wide yellow long tie (this is where we placed our buttons and ribbons, to dress up for the games). I can recall one night when it was raining so much that we held umbrellas, and hid under blankets. We cheered our lungs out for our team. It was a crazy time and we were soaked to the bone!! I was all of sixteen back then. Pep clubs were popular back then. Just about every girl in the school joined "Briny Birds." Now, I see that pep clubs are not that popular anymore.

Another time that I recall being on that field was when I was in band. It was in my ninth grade year and it was band night. I took my instrument, which was the bassoon, and had a strap around my neck as it was attached to the instrument. Let me tell you that it is not easy playing a bassoon like that. It's much easier sitting on the strap and holding the instrument. Bassoons are just not made for "marching." I can't even recall what we played for half time.

I once was an usher for my high school by giving out programs and showing them where to sit. We had to "Welcome" them into "our" stadium. I remember meeting some political figure for govenor (that guy didn't win the govenorship that year). The club was called H-2. You never hear of clubs like this (anyway at CHS I've never heard of that!)

When I was in broadcasting class, as a young eighteen year old, I told my teacher that I knew a little something about football and that I wanted to call a game. I remember listening to my college radio station and one of the guys advertised on his show that I was quote, "the first woman play-by-play announcer," (well I'm not sure if I was or not). So that day came. I got into the pressbox and watched the game. I was THE MOST WORST play-by-play person. I didn't know that much about football. I was correct when I said knew a little something, yeah VERY LITTLE. So that career didn't pan out.

Then one of the last time that I was on that field I was graduating from my junior collge. One guy, whom I knew from my English class, was sitting a few chairs down on my row. I had cheered for him many times on the basketball court. Now thirty-three years later I was watching his nephew coach the CHS football team on the same field. What a small world!

I looked around and it was a weird feeling because here I was in my old hometown with friends from my now hometown of Harper.

Our team lost and I picked up a blazing red sunburn. But it was great to be back at a place that gave me such wonderful old memories!