Thursday, January 19, 2006
The Boardman Dugout Club is asking for community help for the project.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BOARDMAN -- The Boardman High Dugout Club is planning to build a new baseball stadium for the Spartans' team on the site of the old facility near the school, and is seeking contributions from alumni, businesses and the community in general to make it all possible.
"We are asking the community of Boardman to step up to the plate and help us to build our winning baseball program a first class facility," said Jim Parks, a member of the Boardman High Dugout Club Boosters who co-heads the five-member fundraising committee along with Bob Walters. The other committee members are Buddy Carhart, Sue O'Brien and Rich O'Brien.
"It's time to take our baseball program [and] facilities to the next level. This community was established with dreams of creating the finest academic and athletic programs available. We are the inheritors of this ever-changing dream and it's our responsibility to continue the great tradition and pride by giving our student-athletes the best facilities possible."
Conceptual illustration
A conceptual illustration of the proposed new stadium by architect Stephen Berry of Boardman can be seen on the Boardman High School baseball website (boardmanhighschoolbaseball.com.) along with other information about the fundraising campaign.
"The conceptual illustration is of a basic preliminary plan that is flexible and open to development and expansion as funds are raised to advance and complete the project," said Parks, who believes that the final product will evolve into "a state-of-the art complex."
"The press box and bleachers will be right up against the backstop, and the bleachers will go dugout to dugout. The bullpens will be behind the dugouts and adjacent on each side to the bleachers."
And, "The press box can be expanded to allow more room underneath it for rest rooms, concession areas and storage for maintenance equipment."
Overall, "It will be made to look like a campus setting that already is situated in a picturesque area, and will have landscaped, handicap-accessible walkways and handrails."
Timetable for completion
Parks said the project may be completed in stages, depending on the success of the fund-raising campaign.
"We are going to be doing this work in stages as the money comes in," said Parks. "We would like to complete the job all at once if the money becomes available, but the dugouts will have to go in first just because that probably will make things more livable."
The dugouts are small and in poor condition, he said. In addition, Parks said the bleachers are too far away from the field, the bullpens are lacking sufficient space and are badly-situated and the fences have deteriorated.
"The old bleachers sit on the hill at our fields approximately 90-100 feet from the field," said Parks. "Our current bullpens allow for [only] one pitcher to warm up at a time. Also [the bullpens] are in line of fire for foul balls.
"The entire fence at the facility needs to be replaced as it too is showing its age."
How to contribute
Contributions can be sent to the Spartan Dugout Club and mailed to the Spartan Dugout Club, P.O. Box 3443, Youngstown, Ohio 44513.
The non-profit organization supports the school's baseball program, which is 90 percent self-supporting.
All contributions will be tax-deductible.
"There will be naming rights available for donors to the stadium for component parts like the playing field, press box, dugouts and seating areas," said Parks. "And naming rights also will be considered for the entire stadium. So we are hoping for some big contributions."
For details, call Parks at 330-718-1116 or e-mail him at jparks@northernhaserot.com.
kovach@vindy.com