Currey Ingram's seniors take on the juniors in a Tug-of-War in the new Mustang Gym.
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Currey Ingram throws itself a pep rally to celebrate
 By CARSON FANT
Brentwood Home Page sports intern
Currey Ingram Academy students and staff celebrated additions to its Jan Carell Field House and its new soccer and football stadium on Thursday.
The current basketball gym was renamed as the Frist Gymnasium. The new basketball gym, Mustang Gymnasium, was open for viewing, as were the new dance studio, the still-to-be-completed Jan and Randy Short Strength and Conditioning Center, and the Jeffrey Kuhn Field for soccer and football.
An outdoor basketball court is also being built outside the Jan Carell Fieldhouse.
Laura Braam, the K-12 private school’s director of communications, correctly described Thursday’s afternoon assembly as a “pep rally.” The entire student body and several parents were on hand, cheering loudly and waving green and white pom-poms.
Dean of Students Bev Fulkerson did a fantastic job getting the students excited before the assembly began and actually started a wave that went around the entire gym.
“This is clearly an exciting day,” Kathy Rayburn, the Head of School, said in opening the assembly, stressing that more than anything it marked the “beginning of a new day for athletics.”
Rayburn recalled when she came to the then-Westminster School in 1995, there were very few athletic teams at the school and no high school. It was located at Westminster Presbyterian Church on West End Avenue in Nashville. Westminster became known as Currey Ingram Academy when the campus moved to Brentwood in 2002 and added a high school.
Kevin Carter, the athletic director for grades 5-12, said that the day was “about being healthy, being strong and being connected.” He asked all of the student athletes and those that use the gym for athletic programs and physical education courses to stand. Practically all of the students did.
Several students from grades ranging from third to 12 also took part. Senior Kelly Kerlin said she is glad that future athletes won’t have to try and practice at the same time.
“Everything about this expansion is awesome,” senior football player Jonathan Garrett said.
Dr. Jeffrey Eskind, president of the school’s Board of Trust, closed the ceremony by saying “there is more to come.” Eskind said that some day in the future the school hopes to add bleachers and a track to Jeffrey Kuhn Field, an outdoor pavilion with restrooms and concessions, a new softball field and possibly even an indoor swimming pool.
Eskind announced that five new tennis courts would be built on campus later this year thanks to a donation from Stephanie Ingram.
“You students keep dreaming,” Eskind said. “You students keep being active.”
Ribbons to the new Mustang Gymnasium were then cut by students: seventh grader Owen Currey, eighth- grader Savana Floyd, senior Taylor Floyd, third-grader Walker Frist and freshman Jackson Short.
On hand for the ceremony were Mr. and Mrs. James Carell, Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Kuhn, Mr. and Mrs. Randy Short and several members of the Frist family.
Currey Ingram Academy was founded in 1968 and is the first school in Tennessee specifically designed for students with unique learning styles. Construction on the additions and new athletic facilities has been going on for around a year, Braam said.
“The sense of excitement has built over the last year,” she said. “We’re still growing.”
Braam said the additions were what the students needed, both for reasons of practicality and enjoyment. She added that the older students “have been desperate for new buildings.”
“We think kids gain confidence from their strengths,” Braam said. “We don’t want them to not be able to play what they want to play.” |
