High School Softball facilities coming along nicely!

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Jul 29, 2013
6,782
113
North Carolina
Can you please tell me (if you have an idea) how all this was paid for by the school? Fundraising or was it school funds? Our facilities need updated and so I was just curious how other places pay for it.

Combination of fundraisers, individual donations, out of pocket by some in a big way, and the school AD allotting certain monies just for the softball program. Now do I know exactly how it’s all broken down or where most of it came from........no!

Wooden structures this year, the cage, Tee-station, bullpen, that was a combination of the coach and his hired employees and the grounds crew at the school, LOTS of labor hours on the coaches part, and for the last two years he’s spent a lot out of pocket cause that’s just how he is! You’d be very surprised at the amount of money spent on timbers, screenings, and dirt, not including labor.

I’ve heard, and not 100% sure so I probably shouldn’t say this.........the lights (huge$), the practice infield, the concession stand / restrooms were mostly private donations but I have no idea of the percentage? Plus the former coach who own a very successful business spent huge money himself on the program.
 
Sep 29, 2010
1,082
83
Knoxville, TN
Funny how that works??
Seeing your name just now made me feel terrible for posting these pics........:(. How's things coming at your field? You're more than welcome to cuss me in a PM!
No cussing necessary, haha! Fence is up and waiting on our infield mix. Once it’s down we will need to get some rain, or water it well to pack it. The irony huh? Should be playable by the end of the month. Still have to replace tarp and wind screens and we will be 100% here is a link to latest story.
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/shop...field-defending-state-champs-bind/3137970002/
 
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Jul 29, 2013
6,782
113
North Carolina
No cussing necessary, haha! Fence is up and waiting on our infield mix. Once it’s down we will need to get some rain, or water it well to pack it. The irony huh? Should be playable by the end of the month. Still have to replace tarp and wind screens and we will be 100% here is a link to latest story.
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/shop...field-defending-state-champs-bind/3137970002/

Ha, good to hear, hope you guys get up and running soon! From those pics you posted of the flood, I was worried Mac would miss her senior season on her home field.
 
Sep 21, 2017
230
43
PA
These look great! I'm in process of designing upgrades for my field, I'm going to steal these pics and show them to my AD. Your hitting areas and bullpens are very close to what I was designing, and seeing something tangible may help the process along.

Congrats! That's a nice looking facility!
 

CoreSoftball20

Wilson = Evil Empire
DFP Vendor
Dec 27, 2012
6,215
113
Kunkletown, PA
Can you please tell me (if you have an idea) how all this was paid for by the school? Fundraising or was it school funds? Our facilities need updated and so I was just curious how other places pay for it.

Its a private school and there was softball recruiting bribes being paid for kids that didn't play softball...monies were put into the field :)

j/k
 
Jul 29, 2013
6,782
113
North Carolina
Its a private school and there was softball recruiting bribes being paid for kids that didn't play softball...monies were put into the field :)

j/k

Man I wish, we play several schools in our conference where it's glaringly obvious some kids are recruited, more so in basketball. Our school will have none of that.....pay your tuition!! We've had several parents very interested in coming to school there and playing but it never works out, it's always about money! Our school is actually not that expensive.......compared to several local private schools around us.

Do I wish I wasn't paying for two kids to go to high school, absolutely! But me and my wife look at it as an investment, just hope it pays off!?
 
Jul 29, 2013
6,782
113
North Carolina
These look great! I'm in process of designing upgrades for my field, I'm going to steal these pics and show them to my AD. Your hitting areas and bullpens are very close to what I was designing, and seeing something tangible may help the process along.

Congrats! That's a nice looking facility!

Thank you. The small practice infield is invaluable, especially if you have a MS program also! Generally the MS practice before the varsity, the varsity can be over there warming up, throwing, taking infield, etc. before they take the main field. And it's a huge benefit when playing a game where both teams can warm up and take infield, or pitchers can warm up over there while the other team's pitcher(s) can be using the bullpen.

If we would have to do without any of these features, it would be the Tee-station, that was a last minute decision by the HC, and a nice one but I could live without it. The practice infield, the cage, and the bullpen on the other hand, they're must haves and used a ton! But for the convenience.....the small infield is definitely my favorite! I promise you'll never know how great it is until you build one!

The previous coaches build that infield so it's been there 3 or 4 years, not sure how true it is.....I was told the school HAD to build it the host a State Tournament, whether true or not, I don't know, or care, it's there:cool:.
 
Sep 21, 2017
230
43
PA
Thank you. The small practice infield is invaluable, especially if you have a MS program also! Generally the MS practice before the varsity, the varsity can be over there warming up, throwing, taking infield, etc. before they take the main field. And it's a huge benefit when playing a game where both teams can warm up and take infield, or pitchers can warm up over there while the other team's pitcher(s) can be using the bullpen.

If we would have to do without any of these features, it would be the Tee-station, that was a last minute decision by the HC, and a nice one but I could live without it. The practice infield, the cage, and the bullpen on the other hand, they're must haves and used a ton! But for the convenience.....the small infield is definitely my favorite! I promise you'll never know how great it is until you build one!

The previous coaches build that infield so it's been there 3 or 4 years, not sure how true it is.....I was told the school HAD to build it the host a State Tournament, whether true or not, I don't know, or care, it's there:cool:.

I agree, that practice field is very valuable! We currently have V and JV fields, and also what we call a JH field - which is a glorified practice field. They don't play their games on it, they use our HS fields to play their A and B games. We all play in the spring, so field space is limited with 4 teams, and having a spot to be on the dirt, if the other teams have games, is great.

We have a hitting area, big enough for 4 tees/nets and a pretty good cage, but it's not how I want it. I want something permanent like what you guys have. Ours has small, pea sized gravel, which I HATE, but we put down turf strips for batters boxes. I want to turf the entire area, and put up permanent, individual hitting areas, with painted boxes/home plates. The cage is completely turfed, which is nice. But our bullpens...if you can call them that, are atrocious. They are a pitching plate stuck in the grass with a home plate 43 feet away. At a previous school I coached at, we had 2 lane pens, down each sideline, with dirt cutouts around the pitching plates and HP area. Something like that would be nice, but what you have is better! ;)
 
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