Just over a decade ago, the Hingham Sports Partnership (HSP) embarked on a massive project which forever changed Hingham High School’s campus. Permanently altering the vast fields spanning down Union Street, HSP successfully funded and created an artificial turf field and stadium, a new track, a baseball field, a concession stand and restrooms, along with many more facilities providing a better athletics experience. The Hingham High School athletic facilities have opened up a world of possibilities for HHS’s team sports, youth sports, and ceremonies. All this is to say that HSP, with over thirty years of experience, is not finished with their contributions to the Hingham High School experience.
Hingham High School pridefully has a staggering 80% participation rate in competitive sports throughout all students across the school. Continuous success among Hingham’s sports is the result of a strong culture of hard work and dedication in all teams in the community. One factor contributing to this is Hingham’s athletes dedication to strength and fitness. Hingham High, a building several decades old, has a fitness room which is outdated for the modern needs of student athletes. The gym, lying underneath the boy’s locker room, is far too small to effectively host team-wide workouts and training sessions. HSP also recognizes the lesser use by the female teams as it lies within the boys side of the locker room space. Furthermore, the space is too condensed to accommodate all the needs for athletes.
HSP has recognized this issue, and has put a target on a solution. It may be already obvious to students, but the old concession stand next to HHS’s back parking lot has been demolished. HSP, with the help of many generous donors, has targeted this space as the solution to the outdated weightroom. The plan consists of the creation of what is called “The Dock,” a modern facility giving Hingham students the opportunity to hold comfortable training sessions, exhibit mental health practices, and even help with programs such as SNAP. HSP plans to use this space not only to accommodate the needs of student athletes, but also to create a multipurpose space to benefit all within the community.
“The Dock Project” has created a buzz of excitement around the school. Many students share similar interests in what this project brings to the table, whether it be a better team training environment, an area to relieve day to day stresses, or a platform to better the experience for programs such as SNAP. When referring to The Dock, junior football player Chase Beighley expresses his interest in how the new facility can impact his football experience, as he comments, “I think this [The Dock] can contribute a lot to the football program, whether it being a platform for off-season lifting or in-season, it overall allows more efficiency in our workout regimen. Football culture is built in the weight room.” Excitement has also been felt from many other teams such as field hockey. Junior captain Ryan Hallisey commented, “I think The Dock Project can be an awesome asset for the field hockey team moving forward, we are all really excited to see how it turns out.”
“The Dock Project” is proudly a result of philanthropy across many generous Hingham Residents, and large corporations such as New Balance. HSP’s work in Hingham has ultimately transformed the experiences of Hingham students over the span of multiple decades. Their efforts truly express the pride Hingham exhibits in ensuring a strong community for all.
