Clark helped oversee and complete the construction of the $1.5 million Ringgold Athletic Complex, adjacent to Don Patterson Stadium. The Downtown Athletic Club Booster said it cost more than $750,000 overall, but the Tigers are
now "debt free."
He said all of the money borrowed to build the new additions was paid back through private sources and area businesses.
It takes a village to do something like this," he said. "There's no way I could name every person who helped in this project, but they know who they are. They are all greatly appreciated."
Clark said he gets a little teary-eyed when he thinks of the older outdated athletic facility unaffectionately referred to as "the nasty blue building" athletes had to use prior to the addition of the new 4,700 square foot fieldhouse.
Cheerleading and wrestling are the only Ringgold sports teams that don’t utilize the complex. The complex comes fully equiped with study rooms, a weight room, indoor track, televisions, a video scouting room, showers, laundry and dressing rooms.
The other fieldhouse in the complex serves as home for the cheerleaders and the wrestling program. It was constructed with 20-foot ceilings to allow for stunts and offers an area big enough for three wrestling mats for practice and tournaments.
"We started this because of the kids, and now thousands of
kids get to use this facility every day," Clark said. "This is one of the most rewarding things I've ever been involved with in my entire life."
Ringgold Middle School Principle Lamar Brown was the head football coach at RHS when the project took shape in 2000. He said he will never forget what Ringgold was like then and now.
“It’s so thrilling to know we were able to follow through with this project,” he said. “And it’s all paid off because we’ve had so many athletic teams succeed in the past few years, and it’s made it all worth it.”
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