In the winter of last year, the Midview Local School District Board of Education approved Midview High School’s Kubuski Gymnasium as a permanent improvement project for the summer. With the first day of the 2023-24 school year on the horizon, K-Gym is now ready for competition, featuring new LED lighting, a resurfaced floor, and an officially named court.
On Sunday evening, family and close friends of Troy DiFranco gathered for the official unveiling of Troy DiFranco Court, now named in his honor. In tribute to his late father, DiFranco’s son, Evan, was asked to score the first basket. The facility will now be referred to as Troy DiFranco Court inside Kubuski Gymnasium.
“When Troy passed away the question I was asked most was ‘What can we do for you?,’ and my answer was always the same - ‘Don’t let him be forgotten’ - and I just feel like this is another wonderful thing Midview has done for our family to honor Troy and keep his legacy alive,” said Michelle DiFranco, DiFranco’s wife. “Now that it has been four years, it’s painful to realize that there will be kids in the high school that didn’t know him or didn’t have him previously as a teacher. This is just a way for people to recognize the name and ask about him.”
Troy DiFranco was a respected member of the Midview Local Schools community whose legacy was built long before his unexpected passing in June 2019.
As a dedicated member of the Midview High School math department, DiFranco mentored thousands of students over the course of his twenty-six-year teaching career. His influence also extended beyond the classroom onto the basketball court, where he led the Midview Boys Basketball program for 19 seasons as head coach before his retirement in 2016.
“It has been my vision since Troy’s retirement to further cement his legacy in a unique way when the opportunity presented itself. That vision became a mission in the summer of 2019 after his passing,” said Midview Athletic Director Dan May during the court dedication. “If you look through images of Troy coaching, most will show him here on this sideline passionately leading his student-athletes as they play the game he loved so much. For me, it is a fitting location for his memory to be showcased to each person that enters this gym.”
The completion of the Kubuski Gym improvement project was funded through generous private contributions. The Midview Board of Education, Administration, and Athletic Department would like to extend their gratitude to Creg Jantz for working tirelessly to secure donations and to the donors who were willing to honor a man of great integrity who impacted the lives of so many community members, most notably students.
A formal ceremony to honor those who made this project possible will be held during the 2023 DiFranco Classic on December 2.