Soccer Players Request Bleachers for Field

With the school year starting, and the making use of several new turf fields, one school sports captain is requesting something new for the fans.

Ryan Pearce, high school senior and captain of the boys soccer team, spoke before the board of education Aug. 28 with other members of the boys and girls varsity soccer teams to request new bleachers for the fields.

“We appreciate the new turf field and scoreboard,” he said. “We are anticipating bleachers for fans to watch games. Have they been approved?”

Superintendent of Schools Michael Schilder said new bleachers are not in the budget at this point, but that they could be considered.

“When the turf field was approved and organizations donated the funds, bleachers were never part of that arrangement,” he said. “Can they be for the 2013-2014 school year? Sure.”

Schilder said that would be part of the budget process itself, which begins in November and December.

“We’ll start to put together some money, and this could be part of the board’s facilities committee,” he said. “It could be put on the agenda, but I could not speculate on how far the request would get.”

Board of education member Jeffrey Brookner said new bleachers are worth looking into.

“But they do cost a lot,” he said.

Pearce said he would hope there is something that could be done. He said many senior citizens attend games, as do families, and it’s important to make sure the bleachers are safe for those wishing to support the teams.

What do you think? Are new bleachers in order at the high school?