Southwood (2,000) Built 1963
November 16, 2024: North Miami vs. Southwood (Girls)
November 16, 2024: North Miami vs. Southwood (Girls)
Hoosier Gym Journey turned one year old a couple weeks ago, which is crazy to think about. In that time I wrote about 70 blogs, which means I visited 70 gyms. Some active, some old, some for the first time, some for a return visit. I thought about sitting down and trying to figure out how many miles I traveled over the course of those 70 trips, but then I thought "Who has time for that?" (probably the same guy who had time to visit 70 gyms over the course of 365 days but that's beside the point). All I know is it's a lot. My little Nissan Versa that I've had since college has delivered me safely to each destination and I've had a ton of fun doing it. I've been to the northwest corner of the state to Michigan City, to the northeast to Westview, as far east as Williamsburg, southeast to Paris Crossing, as far south as Marengo, southwest to Owensville, and as fast west as Newport. Each region has its own terrain and adventures when traveling. Some have more heralded basketball traditions than others, but they all have a story worth telling. This weekend I made it to the one area that I think is overlooked more than any other when it comes to the story of Indiana high school basketball. Rural, 1A, public schools in the northern half of the state have a hard time getting a lot of love or coverage from the broader basketball public. Small southern schools have a little more mystique to them, and many "small" private/charter schools have become powerhouses through let's just say "questionable" means. Schools like Southwood and North Miami both have some historical record of success, but many people aren't even aware they exist. Even though Southwood's gym isn't much to write home about, it was a fine venue to take in one of the best girls basketball games I've watched in a long time.
The 1960s were the genesis for the "modern" gym designs you see in most places across the state. Two opposing sections of big wooden retractable bleachers along the sidelines that can be rolled back for extra space during gym classes. Sometimes one level, sometimes two. It's wild how some of these places just grab your attention immediately, and others feel like someone has let all the air out of a balloon. While Southwood definitely falls more on the deflated balloon side of the spectrum, it has a few things going for it that keep the vibes from completley being killed. Keeping with that classic setup, there is one level of wooden retractable bleachers on each side that go up 13 rows. Judging by the slight swaying that occured as I plodded up them, I think they're original. There is nothing on the plain white walls above them except for a "Home of the Knights" sign written in scarlet red script on one side. The baseline wall above the entrance is almost as bare except for a Three Rivers Conference team display that I actually really like but is way too small to be seen from most of the gym. The opposing baseline wall has your modern athletic accomplishment banners displayed across it. Individually they're pretty meh, but they creatively placed them in a mosaic that forms the silhouette of a great knight in armor. It's a nice touch.
The hardwood floor looks like it's been redone fairly recently. It has a two-tone design with the lighter section only being inside the wings. A giant scarlet "S" that is trimmed in a teal-grey color and then again in black sits at center court. I don't really see the tealish color anywhere else in the gym, but I like how it looks. One small oddity is the huge amount of empty space between the baseline out of bounds lines and the walls behind them. On the far end are little signs on the wall that say "Students" which makes me wonder if there was some portable seating there at some time that has since been removed. I can't say for sure, but it would make sense considering the sign and the vast amount of empty floor there. For whatever reason I also really like the font used for the letters along each baseline. The red and black really make them pop. Lastly, as you enter the gym, there is a quaint little "Welcome to Southwood High School" message in the glass above both double doors with little knights on both sides. I'm not sure why but it stuck out to me and I appreciated it.
What separates so many of these gyms that are similar to one another in general setup are the little details. Southwood doesn't have a lot of oddities to take pictures of or that are worth talking about. One obvious way they could stand out a little more is by putting some cool murals up or some kind of original signage on the walls. There is just a ton of blank space here. Like I said earlier though, it isn't all bad. While the gym doesn't add any pizzaz to the experience, it doesn't distract from the action either (the worst places legitimately do). I got to watch two small 1A schools have a knock down, drag out fight in an early season game that was back and forth the whole way. North Miami only pulled away in the last few minutes. There was only one senior starting on either side. These teams are both going to be good for the next few years. They probably still won't get the recognition they deserve, but I hope they don't let that hamper the good work they are putting in on the court. If I can help shine even a small light on their gyms and stories, then the miles I continue to put on my little car will be more than worth it.
