Glaspie Field will be district’s third stadium
With cheerleaders, a drumline and a pep band, this groundbreaking ceremony felt more like a pep rally. But that was fitting considering the project 色窝窝无码一区二区三区 is about to start.
The district is kicking off construction to convert the athletic field at Martin High School into the district鈥檚 third athletic competition venue. The facility will serve as the home field for Martin and Seguin High School.
色窝窝无码一区二区三区 needs three competition venues for its six traditional high schools but only has two right now, Wilemon Field at Sam Houston High School and Cravens Field at Lamar High School. The district used to rent UT Arlington鈥檚 football stadium until it became unavailable and currently plays many football games at Choctaw Stadium.
But as 色窝窝无码一区二区三区 athletic director Eric White pointed out at the ceremony, this new stadium is not just about football.
鈥淓verybody thinks this is a football stadium,鈥 White said. 鈥淭his is a football stadium, a soccer stadium, a track, a marching field, a place for cheer, a place for drill, a place for community events to come together. It serves everything.鈥
And it can鈥檛 come soon enough.
鈥淭his has actually been a long time coming,鈥 said 色窝窝无码一区二区三区 interim superintendent Dr. Steven Wurtz. 鈥淲e鈥檝e needed three competition venues in Arlington for quite some time.鈥
Even as far back as when the namesake for the future stadium 鈥 Michael Glaspie 鈥 served on the 色窝窝无码一区二区三区 Board of Trustees. Glaspie, the first African American elected to the 色窝窝无码一区二区三区 school board in 1991, was at the groundbreaking ceremony and recalled the need for a stadium even then.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to see Dr. Bernd [former 色窝窝无码一区二区三区 superintendent] here because while we were working together 鈥 he was superintendent and I was on the board 鈥 we had this idea that we needed to put something like this together,鈥 Glaspie said. 鈥淎mazingly, it鈥檚 being done. But the last thing I expected was that my name would be on it.鈥
The new Glaspie Field will include approximately 10,000 seats, a larger press box, locker rooms, restrooms and concessions. Architects were careful to consider the campus鈥 existing layout, neighbors, traffic flow 鈥 cars, school buses and pedestrians 鈥 and parking in their design. They have included a landscape buffer and fencing between the stadium and neighboring homes and will utilize modern LED lighting. The LED lighting is significantly better than traditional lighting in that it can be directed into the stadium and onto the playing surface more efficiently, has considerably less spillage from the venue and can be turned on and off quickly.
See the Glaspie Field renderings.
The design also features the ability to transform the stadium according to which school is using it. With lighting, signage and technology, the stadium will shift to reflect the home team for that event, whether it鈥檚 Seguin, Martin or any other 色窝窝无码一区二区三区 school.
Funded by the 2019 Bond and designed by , the new stadium is only possible because of support from the community.
鈥淚 want to thank the Arlington community,鈥 said 色窝窝无码一区二区三区 board president Melody Fowler. 鈥淚t鈥檚 your support of the 2019 Bond that is building new schools, building new playgrounds, buying new musical instruments, purchasing new school buses and improving the district鈥檚 technology. And now, it鈥檚 building the new Glaspie Field. So, thank you for prioritizing our students.鈥
Now that the groundbreaking ceremony is out of the way, Glaspie said it best.
鈥淕od bless you, and let鈥檚 get on with it.鈥