This is a difference I've noticed here in western CO, too. Gyms in Iowa were always packed; middle school games were loud and AAU games had tons of fans. Here, not so much.

That's because Iowa is truely God's Country:D . I never made it to Grandview HS. I've had them on the road before but not there. I was actually a little bummed. One of my favorite small locker rooms was redone this year and they threw out the old diner seat I got dressed on. I brought the situation up with the prinicipal, but he assured me that the diner seat was gone for good;) .

During my days as a D1 asst. coach, we played Long Island University (Brooklyn) that has a gym that's not so "rinky dink" as it is odd. Check out the link:

http://www.brooklyn.liu.edu/bbut11/g.../Schwartz1.htm

They played in the former Brooklyn Paramount Theatre. The benches/table sit in front of the stage that has hosted Bing Crosby, Mae West, Rudy Valee, and Little Richard. It has an original 1928 Wurlitzer Pipe Organ....how cool is that.

Lakeview HS (in the Chicago Public league) has a main gym w/ a few oddities: a suspended overhead track prevents any shot attempt outside of 15 feet from the corners. One corner doesn't actually exist! The brick walls of an office protrude onto the floor in one corner of the court (approximately 10' x 8' of the corner is nothing but a wall covered w/ padding). Touch the wall/pads and you're out of bounds!!!!

Bowling Alley
 

Catholic Middle School League, Sacred Heart School, New Britain, CT: Gymnasium looks more like a bowling alley than a basketball gymnasium. Long and narrow. Sidelines are two inches from side walls. Hashed restraining lines. Three point line intersects sideline, not allowing a three point shot from the wing or the corner. Scorer's table on one end of court. Two teams on opposite ends of court. Substitutes enter from both endlines. Confusing to remember which side is opposite the table for foul shots and jump balls. It's tough to officiate a game there, but, this gymnasium has a certain "old time" atmosphere to it, kind of like officiating a game with Dr. Naismith as the coach.

Other "gymnasiums" in this league are really all purpose rooms, cafeteria, auditorium, etc. and have a tile floor over concrete. If I do a games at those gymnasiums, I try to remember to take two aspirin before the game, otherwise my knees and ankles hurt for two days afterward.

Also, the old Watkinson Prep High School, Hartford, CT gymnasium. So short in length that they have two division lines. Once the ball came into the front court over the second division line, the further back division line became the division line for a back court call. Thank God they built a new gymnasium.

Definately worth it, though. Hell - I'd walk from downtown D.C. up to Hyatsville for the chance to call a Dematha game.

There is a gym in Wilberforce Ohio that's really old. From the outside, it looks like an Army barracks. Inside, it's very dark. The floor has to be about 110 feet long! Additionally, the floor is not flat. There are small hills and valleys throughout the floor.

They did have good popcorn at the concessions stand, however.

Then and Now
 

My first encounter with a rinky-dink gym was when I was in 6th grade. We had a home-and-home scrimmage series with a local Montesorri academy. The first scrimmage was at our gym and my friend and I wondered why Montesorri had cheerleaders for a scrimmage. :confused:

A week later coach had the reserves go to their place for the second scrimmage. The gym was so small that the free throw arcs and center circle all intersected. (I don't recall alternate lines either). They had no scoreboard, so the timekeeper used a weird football clock and a bicycle horn. And the score as posted in cardboad numbers behind the table.

Fast forward to this past weekend. Our CYO team played a team with a relatively new gym facility which was nice. Except that for some reason the scoreboard's horn did not work at all. So the timer had to use a whistle for 0:00. Timeouts were pretty much untimed and the referees had to take care of that.

While it's getting better here - come on to WV and I'll show you some BAD gyms!