National Finalist
Uniontown Lake High School
Uniontown, OH
Nestled in the norther-most portion of Stark County, Ohio, Uniontown Lake High School, and its Blue Streak Stadium, has always had a tradition-rich heritage among some of the most elite football programs in the state. Playing in, arguably, Ohio's most competitive high school athletic conference, the community's Blue Streak athletic teams have always been a source of pride in Lake Township.
When Blue Streak Stadium was completed in 1987, community members had privately raised every dollar to fund the construction effort. Over the 20 years of its existence, Blue Streak Stadium had hosted numerous fall athletic events (soccer and football) as well as served as home for the school's track programs and several Ohio High School Athletic Association play-off games.
When community growth necessitated expansion of the Middle and High School buildings in early 2000, valuable "green space" for youth football, soccer and baseball programs along with practice areas for the marching band and school soccer programs was eliminated. Additionally, the Middle and High School physical education programs were virtually exiled to gymnasium areas throughout the entire school year for lack of outside facilities.
Concurrent with the growth of the school buildings was the development of a new community paradigm: Community-School partnerships, which would enhance the quality of life for all Lake residents. This culture of "partnering" and giving back value to the community became the new model of operation for all stakeholders within the school system and the community.
As the playing field conditions at Blue Streak Stadium slowly began to deteriorate (due to expansion of sport team programming and community requests for use) it became apparent that s solution could be the installation of an artificial, all-weather surface for the Stadium.
Paralleling the same sense of collaboration that had helped build the new school facilities, a private group of local residents re-formed the entity ("Lake Building Committee, Inc.") that built the original Stadium in the mid-1980s. The focus of this group was to generate funding to create "The Largest Classroom in Lake Township!"
The focus in marketing the new field was how an all-weather surface would provide not just a superior athletic playing surface, but would multiply the opportunities to continue serving our community with the school and non-school related events. It did not take much time to develop a laundry list of needs that would immediately be positively impacted by the new surface:
- An opportunity to provide daily physical space for BOTH the high school and middle school physical education programs.
- Stabilize the contest and practice surface for school soccer and football programs.
- Provide opportunities to showcase the various community youth sport organizations through practice and event scheduling (youth football, youth soccer)
- Increase the quality opportunities to stage significant activities for performing arts: Band practice, county-wide Band Shows, staging events at the Stadium.
- Multiply uses for our Community-School partners: YMCA youth "field days," YMCA adult leagues, Mercy Medical events and activities.
- Expand the scheduling of community sports programming: Community lacrosse, flag football, rugby programs.
- Enhance the staging areas for community events: "Relay for Life," Community Wrestling
Not only did the community believe in supporting the funding of this project, but many of the activities listed have, in fact, already become realities. In the short period of time Alumni Field has been installed (August 2008 through April 2009), we have already had more events, practices and activities on the surface than we have had combined in the past seven years!
How refreshing it is to see a community rewarded for a leap of faith on this venture. This field was not paid for with tax dollars or via a bond issue passed on a ballot. Instead, this was the result of a true "grass roots" effort in businesses, elderly people and students all pulled together to raise the funds needed. The result is that we now have not only the "largest classroom" in our area, but we have very viable, practical and useful source of pride for the entire community.
It should also be pointed out that our vendor/partner has "walked the walk" in making this dream a reality. Their product and their genuine interest in making this effort a community success has gone well beyond all expectations. We believe we have truly the finest all-purpose outdoor high school facility in Ohio because of their efforts and the commitment of our community to provide this gift to the residents and students of Lake Township.
Our Blue Streak athletes, students, parents and fans will continue to "dream big" and realize the benefits of having a beautiful, all-weather synthetic surface for years to come!
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