For years, the walls of the Mansfield Tiger dens have been the same old boring white washed digs they were when the teams moved into the new high school back in 2004. Slowly but surely those landscapes have recently taken on some changes.
Local artist, little league football coach, and Mansfield alum Adam Hecox has once again taken out his paint brush and found a blank canvas to inspire the Mansfield Tiger teams. This time the friend to all things Tiger located the MHS storm shelter for his latest masterpiece at the urging of Mansfield Track Coach John Mackey.
Mackey was excited at the look and feel of the Tiger football locker room, weight room, and press box that Hecox revitalized earlier this summer with lavish art and color. He requested that Hecox, one of his former players at the old campus, do something similar to the high school storm shelter. The shelter doubles as the Mansfield track, cross country, volleyball, and women’s basketball workout room.
Hecox agreed if he could find the time. That time came just this past week as the whole Hecox family took advantage of school being released for winter break.
A three day paint party to improve and inspire ensued as most of Mansfield sat in the gym watching Bill Frye basketball unaware that newborn art was eerily transforming in the nearby storm shelter.
Hecox, his wife Megan, and their two kids taped, scraped, and painted motivational silhouettes,Tiger M’s, and rugged claw marks along the barren walls of the workout space. In all, four different walls got the Hecox treatment.
“Adam was always a heart and soul kind of player,” said Mackey. “He had a toughness in the way he played, but a soft heart when it comes to loyalty and all things Mansfield. We’re excited to have his trademark talent displayed. We really appreciate his time and effort in motivating Mansfield athletes.”
