It takes a secure man to say these three words: “I was wrong.”

Departing Free State High athletic director Steve Grant said them more than once Friday as he looked back on his 10 years on the job.

“I was against the second high school initially,” Grant said. “My two kids were successful at Lawrence High and participated in a lot of activities there. My feeling at the time was, any kid who wants to participate in a big high school can do it if they work hard enough. I voted against the bond issue. Looking back, I’d say I was wrong.”

The school board’s decision to name the school Free State?

“At the time, I didn’t like the name,” Grant said. “What’s that all about? Then I thought, man, as a history teacher, you start thinking about Civil War history, the abolitionist movement, that’s kind of neat, much better than a directional name like Lawrence West High.”

Students who would make up Free State’s first classes voted on the nickname, the Firebirds. The design of the bird was similar to the Temple Owl, so similar a representative of Temple objected, forcing a change of the bird, a change for the better.

That was far from the only growing pain. The inside lane on the track was the wrong distance.

“We had to add 18 inches to the outside of the track so we could make it long enough,” Grant said. “Whoever surveyed it and measured it, did it wrong. It was useless.”

Temporary bleachers were set up for the first volleyball match because the permanent ones arrived late.

Not everything has changed.

On the last day of school this year, Grant said, cross country and track coach Steve Heffernan put together a slide show of highlights of the first 10 years. In it was an image of a 1997 column in the Journal-World by Steve Rottinghaus calling for the building of a new stadium.

“Haskell is a great venue for high school football, no doubt about it,” Grant said 10 years later. “Can it withstand three teams playing on it? I don’t know. It gets worn out, gets beat to death over the course of a football season. It’s what we have, and we’ll make the best use of it, but I would like to see something that is strictly a high school facility in our community.”

Asked what he would have expected in 1997 the facilities at Free State to look like by 2007, Grant laughed.

“If you had told me 10 years ago we’d still have porta potties, no concessions, no bleachers at soccer, track, softball and baseball, I would have thought we would have something to be a little more proud of,” he said.

Improving facilities is complex because of the cost. Grant agreed a track duel meet between the city’s public high schools is not complicated. Free State always has wanted it. LHS has resisted.

“A lot of people would go watch it,” Grant said. “The kids who compete deserve to have more than their parents watching them. I think it’s long overdue.”

Grant, 57, was asked what he would like to see in 10 years.

“A few more state championships,” he said. “I think they’re coming, and a few more league championships. I’d love to see some sort of facility improvements. As far as the rivalry, I hope that continues and remains intense. I hope 10 years from now we’ve won our 12th straight World Company Cup.”