BHS boosters aim high, wide for stadium

With the demolition of Barrington High School's outdoor stadium scheduled for later this year, a local booster club is hoping to make the new stadium more elaborate than planned.

Jon Stickney, a member of the Friends of the Stadium committee, an off-shoot of the non-profit Barrington High School Horseshoe Club, told school board members this week their fundraising efforts are already under way.

The group's goal is to raise $800,000 to replace the sod with synthetic turf, and add permanent restrooms and a more elaborate scoreboard.

"(The synthetic turf) is probably the top priority in terms of fundraising," Stickney said.

By having turf instead of grass, the field can be used more frequently, Superintendent Tom Leonard said.

"You can be on it all the time," Leonard said.

The field has been in such bad shape, that by the end of each school year it can't even be used.

"(Synthetic turf) isn't going to get torn up by weather and excessive use," Stickney said. Nearby, both Libertyville and Lake Zurich high schools use turf.

The Friends of the Stadium is seeking donations large and small.

In exchange for larger donations, naming rights are being offered for the stadium itself, as well as the field, track and scoreboard.

All naming rights are subject to approval by the school board.

To make a donation, visit www.horseshoeclub.org.

In April, voters agreed to spend $4.4 million to rebuild the stadium, which had a torn up track, a dirt infield and stands that are old and not up to Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines.

Once the fall sports season ends, Greg Stahler, the district's architect, said work on the project will start in earnest.

"We can start on the demolition and on the bleachers," Stahler said. "The more things we can get done in the fall, the better off we will be."

The goal is to have the new stadium completed in time for the start of the 2008 football season.

When finished, athletic director Mike Obsuszt said the stadium will include a new eight-lane track and a larger field surface so soccer and lacrosse can be played on it. New bleachers will have 2,500 seats for the home fans and 1,500 for the visitors.

While construction is going on, Obsuszt said several spring sports -- among them track and field, soccer and lacrosse -- will need to use other facilities.

While soccer and lacrosse teams will be able to use high school practice fields for games, Obsuszt said the track and field teams more than likely will be bused off-site to practice.