Each game and practice before athletes take the field to practice or play, fields must be maintained and kept in condition to play. This summer Mick Fuller stepped up to that role to maintain the fields and other projects concerning the fields.

Coach Mick Fuller, PE instructor, and strength and conditioning teacher accepted partial responsibility for the previous role of Val Rivera.

Fuller undertook the responsibilities of maintaining the athletic fields and their newly designed sprinkler system. He also took the initiative to begin larger projects, including  repainting multiple campus facilities. These included the football field goals and announcer’s box, all the way to the baseball dugouts and backboard.

Across the span of two months, Fuller adapted to the schedule of Valentine and merged it with his own to assist Brad Gage, the new groundskeeper and offensive line coach, adjusted to the new responsibilities.

Involved off and on with FC athletics and physical education since 2004, Fuller currently instructs the strength and conditioning class and is starting his eighth year back as a teacher.

“I have always been involved with the athletic department whether as a coach or an athletic director,” Fuller said. “I had a PE class around 2008, and more specifically when I came back I taught strength and conditioning and regular since 2012.” 

Fuller temporarily moved into the empty position over the summer to help the new groundskeeper Brad Gage get onto his feet for the next up and coming school year.

“When our athletic facilities manager Val retired,” Fuller continued, “it left a gap in taking care of the basic needs of the field and facilities over the summer time. That was until we had somebody in place to do that full time over the school year so I told the business office that I would be happy to take that on mowing taking care of the weeds and working with the sprinkler system which was new.”

Andrew Rieker talks to Mick Fuller about his involvement in groundskeeping on the FC campus this summer.

Griffin Schmidt, ’19, a three baseball player on the baseball team looks to the upcoming season and the improvements and new paint job to the back board and announcers box.

“I feel that the new backdrop and dugout makes the field look a lot better than it did,” Schmidt said. “The old backstop was just falling apart, now all we need is a new batting cage and a baseball field. I’ve been playing baseball since I was four, and I just started playing football this year.”

To read more articles: Heading into finals week: Study Tips

For more sports articles read: Boys soccer vs Dos Palos, Dec. 10, 4 p.m.