One of Bubba Mims’ goals as athletic director and coach at Porters Chapel Academy was to build a new fieldhouse.

Nearly three years after his death, the dream became reality.

A 3,600 square foot facility located adjacent to the school’s gymnasium and football field took its first step toward being built Tuesday when ground was broken in a morning ceremony.

&#8220It will include two locker rooms, a weight room, a film room, showers and two coaches offices,” said PCA board member Robert Simms. &#8220It’s going to be a great facility for our athletes.”

Peter Mims was elated the facility will honor his late brother, who died in May of 2003 at age 46.

&#8220This school meant a lot to him, and with the athletic tradition that Porters Chapel has, this is a great honor,” Peter Mims said.

For PCA board member Mark Buys, Tuesday’s ceremony was about honoring Bubba Mims while at the same time enhancing the future for PCA’s athletes.

&#8220Our administrators have raised our academic levels and now we’re going to raise our athletic level with this facility. We’re going to (Class) AA next year and we need a facility like this,” Buys said. &#8220I know Bubba would be excited to see the school being enhanced with this facility.”

Buys told the gathered audience how Mims came into coaching after nearly 20 years as a business owner of small convenience stores in Warren County.

&#8220One day in the fall of 1999, Bubba decided that he wanted to be a coach. He volunteered as a football coach at PCA and eventually took over the football program and became our athletic director,” Buys said.

Bubba’s widow, Karen Mims-Barnes, echoed that sentiment.

&#8220After 20 years of owning convenience stores, he decided he wanted to do something else,” Mims-Barnes said, choking back tears, while being flanked by daughters Claire, Paige and Jessica. The Mims’ also have two sons, Gerald and Judd.

&#8220Bubba became a different person when he became a coach,” Mims-Barnes continued. &#8220He had a love for the athletes and he loved Porters Chapel. He was all about expanding the program for the kids and this was his dream to build this field house.”

Randy Wright, PCA’s baseball and football coach, was also elated with the ground-breaking.

&#8220I appreciate everyone being here, because we were all close to Bubba,” Wright said. &#8220I know how passionate he was about this school. This will get us to where he thought this program belongs. I’m proud that Bubba Mims’ name will be on our fieldhouse.”