GOODYEAR — From the sound of saws cutting floorboards to the sight of sweat dripping down the faces of construction workers working on football stadium bleachers, the foundation of Goodyear High School is turning heads in anticipation of its inaugural school year.

Goodyear High School broke ground last September and will welcome only freshmen students on Aug. 5.

A primary focus for inaugural Principal Jason Linn has been the development of the sports facilities. He knows that to compete with other rising sports programs, such as the Canyon View Jaguars and Verrado Vipers, the Mavericks must have advanced sports facilities to attract and develop athletes into stars.

Before accepting his role at Goodyear, Linn worked with Desert Edge for more than 15 years as the school’s strength and conditioning coach and then athletic director. With this experience and knowledge, he understands the effective components that will satisfy and support athletes. He also wants to make sure families understand that the small details matter, from retractable railings for basketball games to expanded seating for the home crowd at football games.

The athletic gym will consist of over 20 weight racks, turf surfaces for rehab, expanded practice fields and, most importantly, an inclusive environment.

“We want our students to feel welcomed,” said Linn, who has planned for the school’s opening since January 2023. “We built these facilities for the kids, and they deserve a place that they’re going to love. We want to give them the best treatment.”

Sports programs in the Agua Fria Union High School District have continually made upgrades to their sports facilities to live up to the modern technologies of high school athletics for the past 20 years. Linn and the rest of the administration staff continue to focus on the small details to ensure the school’s sports facilities compete with the best schools in Arizona.

Desert Edge athletic director Peter Jelovic has been in the sports business for quite some time and understands the importance of providing athletes with the weights, technology and terrain to gain traction in their sports careers.

“Staying informed about trends across the field helps us grow,” Jelovic said. “For myself and our coaches, it’s essential to continually educate ourselves on the latest developments in training, recovery, nutrition and facility design. Incorporating the latest technology plays a key role in achieving our goals – it enhances safety, improves performance and allows us to better support the development of our student-athletes. Our priority remains building a program that is competitive, safe, and committed to maximizing the potential of every athlete.”

Linn wants Goodyear’s programs to have equal treatment and success, placing an emphasis that no individual sport will receive preferential treatment over another program.

However, there is an outlier that the community is watching closely for this upcoming season – and it’s one that is starting to trend upwards in the West Valley: high school football.

Goodyear Football coach Pat Parnell has over 17 years of experience coaching at colleges such as UC Davis and Jacksonville University but most of his skills were sharpened in Washington at the high school level.

He knows that equipment from the brand new facilities is going to help build what he is enforcing with the Mavericks: a championship program.

“The attention to the small details has been exceptional,” Parnell said. “Whenever you can stay focused on the small details while keeping a clear, big-picture vision, great things are bound to happen. From the extra turf for the Jr. (Mavericks) to play on during games to the proximity of the locker room and team rooms and the gym with the outdoor turf and wall space, I could continue all day.”

Goodyear supporters are watching to see what kind of impact these facilities will have on game days, especially since the Mavericks are just getting started on building its foundations and starting to establish cultures in each program.

Goodyear High School’s first sporting event kicks off in football on Aug. 27 at home versus the Canyon View Jaguars.

“Every program has a space that they can feel proud of,” Linn said. “Giving our programs the same love is very important to me. We built these facilities for the Goodyear kids. Goodyear is awesome, we love it here and we wouldn’t be standing here today without the community. Let’s give them something to be proud of.”