Round Valley Ensphere
Encyclopedia
The Round Valley Ensphere is a wood dome stadium in Eagar
, Arizona
, USA. It is owned by Round Valley High School
and the Round Valley Unified School District
. It is the only domed high school football
stadium in the United States. Opened in 1991-92 at a cost of $11 million, the venue seats 5,500 persons for American football and 9,000 for basketball and volleyball. The dome encloses a floor area of 189000 ft2.
, which operates a generating station in the area, would have to pay for $11 million of it. (Since the utility generates 90% of the property values in the area, it pays 90% of the property taxes.) TEP, at the time facing financial issues, sued to block construction, but trial and appellate courts rejected the lawsuit.
Construction began in the summer of 1990. It was forced to stop for three months for reinspection when two workers were hit by wooden beams and fell 75 feet to their deaths.
The dome held its first football match on October 11, 1991, featuring the Payson High School
Longhorns.
, the facility is used for basketball
and tennis
, as well. However, it is currently not being used or heated in the daytime. In November 2010, the Round Valley Unified School District cut all extracurricular programs (including all sports) due to a failed budget override and a need to cut $800,000 from the district budget in three years; the community would have to pay for salaries, equipment, and Arizona Interscholastic Association
fees. Community support for Round Valley sports teams has since followed, such as a haircut event at a salon that raised $2,800 for the school softball program. A "Save The Game" Baseball/Softball Clinic was held inside the Dome by members of the Major League Baseball Team the Oakland Athletics; Scottsdale's Joe Sperle Baseball School; and Nationally Recognized Softball Coaches. This Event helped raise funds to save the Baseball & Softball Programs and was the idea of Bring The Family Together™ a Phoenix based Marketing Consultant Organization and its Owner, Tony Kyle, who is a former resident of Springerville. These efforts allowed the school to save its spring sports programs.
, the second largest in Arizona history, the Dome was used as a shelter. It took in 9,800 evacuees, tripling Eagar's population overnight, and President George W. Bush
visited the shelter. (The absorption of so many people almost caused the town's sewage system to be overloaded.)
Eagar, Arizona
Eagar is a town in Apache County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 4,126.Eagar was first settled in 1871.-Geography:Eagar is located at ....
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, USA. It is owned by Round Valley High School
Round Valley High School
Round Valley High School is a high school serving 445 students in Eagar, Arizona. It is the only high school in the Round Valley Unified School District.-History:...
and the Round Valley Unified School District
Round Valley Unified School District
The Round Valley Unified School District is an Arizona school district comprising five schools in Apache County, Arizona. The towns that house the schools of RVUSD include Eagar and Springerville, Arizona. As of 2006, RVUSD has 1610 students...
. It is the only domed high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
stadium in the United States. Opened in 1991-92 at a cost of $11 million, the venue seats 5,500 persons for American football and 9,000 for basketball and volleyball. The dome encloses a floor area of 189000 ft2.
History
In 1987, a $12 million bond for the dome and repairs was floated and passed after it was found that Tucson Electric PowerTucson Electric Power
Tucson Electric Power is an electric utility company serving southern Arizona in the United States. It is a subsidiary of the UniSource Energy Corporation .Tucson Electric Park, a baseball stadium on Tucson's south side, is named for TEP....
, which operates a generating station in the area, would have to pay for $11 million of it. (Since the utility generates 90% of the property values in the area, it pays 90% of the property taxes.) TEP, at the time facing financial issues, sued to block construction, but trial and appellate courts rejected the lawsuit.
Construction began in the summer of 1990. It was forced to stop for three months for reinspection when two workers were hit by wooden beams and fell 75 feet to their deaths.
The dome held its first football match on October 11, 1991, featuring the Payson High School
Payson High School (Arizona)
Payson High School is a 3A division high school located in the rural town of Payson, Arizona. It has approximately 800 students.The Payson Longhorns are well known for their wrestling program with legend Dennis Pirch as long time coach, Rc Lahaye who is now Grand Canyon University Wrestling Coach...
Longhorns.
School
In addition to footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, the facility is used for basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, as well. However, it is currently not being used or heated in the daytime. In November 2010, the Round Valley Unified School District cut all extracurricular programs (including all sports) due to a failed budget override and a need to cut $800,000 from the district budget in three years; the community would have to pay for salaries, equipment, and Arizona Interscholastic Association
Arizona Interscholastic Association
The Arizona Interscholastic Association is the major high school sports association in the state of Arizona. It comprises most of the state's public district high schools, various charter and private schools, plus one high school in California San Pasqual High School in Winterhaven, California,...
fees. Community support for Round Valley sports teams has since followed, such as a haircut event at a salon that raised $2,800 for the school softball program. A "Save The Game" Baseball/Softball Clinic was held inside the Dome by members of the Major League Baseball Team the Oakland Athletics; Scottsdale's Joe Sperle Baseball School; and Nationally Recognized Softball Coaches. This Event helped raise funds to save the Baseball & Softball Programs and was the idea of Bring The Family Together™ a Phoenix based Marketing Consultant Organization and its Owner, Tony Kyle, who is a former resident of Springerville. These efforts allowed the school to save its spring sports programs.
Non-school
The dome is also used for non-school events, such as a car show (http://arizonascarshows.com/2011/cromeinthedome.aspx). In 2002, as a result of the Rodeo-Chediski fireRodeo-Chediski fire
The Rodeo–Chediski Fire was a wildfire that burned in east-central Arizona beginning on June 18, 2002, and was not controlled until July 7. It was the worst forest fire in Arizona's recorded history until June 14th, 2011 when the Wallow Fire surpassed Rodeo-Chediski as the largest fire in Arizona...
, the second largest in Arizona history, the Dome was used as a shelter. It took in 9,800 evacuees, tripling Eagar's population overnight, and President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
visited the shelter. (The absorption of so many people almost caused the town's sewage system to be overloaded.)
See also
- Walkup SkydomeWalkup SkydomeThe J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome is an indoor multi-purpose stadium in Flagstaff, Arizona, on the campus of Northern Arizona University. Opened in September 1977, it is the home of the NAU Lumberjacks football and basketball teams of the Big Sky Conference. The seating capacity is 16,230, with...
– another wooden dome in Arizona, built in 1977 for athletics and other usage - Tacoma DomeTacoma DomeThe Tacoma Dome is an indoor arena located in Tacoma, Washington, USA, approximately 30 miles south of Seattle.-History:...
, 1983 ensphere-design arena built for a much larger capacity