There’s no place like home.

For the better part of the 2015 sports season, it’s exactly what Decatur indoor athletics didn’t have — a place to call their own. Games were held at Todd Beamer High School because Decatur’s home gym was deemed unsuitable for competition prior to the season.

With everyone from league officials and coaches to players and fans fed up with the dark, wet gym, Federal Way Public Schools decided it was time for a gym remodel. After a moisture intrusion investigation took place, it was deemed a total replacement was needed.

District spokeswoman Kassie Swenson said a bid was made and awarded to Decatur on April 26, to construct a new floor, with a vented base to allow airflow. She said the total cost of the renovation was approximately $1,100,000.

“I have such fond memories of that gym,” former Decatur student and current boys basketball coach David Choi said. “You come back now and it’s even nicer. It really blows my mind, just to see how nice it is. I am so fortunate to be able to coach in this building, and how fortunate the guys are to be able to play in here.

“Everything’s improved. From the walls to the lights, the hoops, the floor, obviously. It’s a good look, and I’m happy for Decatur more than anything.”

The move for action came after numerous referees and and league officials took note of the wrinkled, warped floors causing trouble for athletes.

As a result, officials deemed the gym unsafe for athletic competition and recommended athletic contests not be played, forcing indoor sports to be moved to Todd Beamer.

Choi said the eviction of Gators sports did a number on the morale of all Decatur indoor teams.

“It was tough, because last year we were at Todd Beamer,” he said. “It was just unfortunate because, flat out, the fans weren’t able to come and have an actual ‘home’ environment and a home-field advantage.”

The mental side of lacking true home support was evident in the results last year for Decatur’s indoor teams. Gators basketball went a combined 7-31, with the boys winning just two “home” games and the girls finishing winless.

Volleyball struggled, too. The lady Gators went a winless 0-7 on the Beamer “home court” as well.

Annette Duvall, who enters her first year as Decatur’s athletic director, said that, although she wasn’t around for the old gym, the new version of The Gator Dome has been needed for quite some time, and she’s thrilled to help usher in the new era of indoor sports.

“This feels fantastic,” she said. “There’s been a lot of people who put a lot of time and energy into this. The kids feel great about it. Obviously this place is top-notch, and we’re really blessed to have it.”

The district tried to address all areas of concern and safety during the remodel. One of the biggest renovations was the replacement of the the court floor with a floating wood floor that allows for airflow. Walk-off mats were installed at all entrances to help keep moisture off the floor, and an under-floor heating system will help prevent moisture accumulation as well.

Other upgrades were evident throughout the gym during its unveiling. Added were blue-and-gold bleachers, brighter lighting, and a retractable wall for volleyball matches to stop loose balls. Athletic equipment like backboards and chin-up bars were upgraded.

Side-hoop backboards were done in the plain, white-wood format, but those are temporary as other small additions remain in progress.

“Talking with students around campus, they’re excited,” Choi said. “They’re excited they get to be a part of a true Decatur Sixth Man Crew. That’s going to carry over and give us the advantage of a true student section.”

Decatur volleyball was the first team to utilize The Gator Dome immediately after comments to the sold-out crowd from district Superintendent Dr. Tammy Campbell and Decatur Principal Christina Spencer.

The Gators lost the game 3-0 to Kentlake, but coach Nessa Lemalu said this was an occasion that was bigger than any game.

“Sure, opening the place with a loss is not what we wanted,” she said. “But to be the first team to open this beautiful gym is what it’s all about.”

Choi hasn’t been a student at Decatur since 2007, but he remembers the electric atmosphere the Gators home crowd used to posses.

With a place the teams can finally call home, Choi said he’s confident the electricity the Sixth Man Crew produced during his youth can surge once again after the upgrades.

“There’s just something about playing at Decatur,” he said. “There’s a lot of pride that goes into it. So it shouldn’t take long for that excitement to come back.”