Starting May 15, the George Gattas Memorial Stadium will officially be closed for the summer, and new construction will begin on May 18. This includes new fencing around the stadium, a new track, a new turf field, a new LED scoreboard outside and new LED lights around the stadium.

In the Jean Walker Fieldhouse, new LED scoreboards and shot clocks will be installed this summer. The shot clocks are a new Illinois High School Association rule, so it is necessary for schools to get them, according to Athletic Director Scott McDermott. The new LED scoreboards will allow video production such as replays, advertisements and hype videos to play during games.

“I’m excited for Prospect students to be able to have the updated facilities, to allow for increased accessibility, safe playing services, as well as to allow us to be as efficient as possible with the high level of participation in after school activities during the school day,” Associate Principal Frank Mirandola said.

These changes are a part of a rotation the district has for updating facilities. This plan has been in the works for around two years, but is now being implemented.

The project was planned by McDermott, Mirandola and the district office. The funding for it comes from normal operating expenses the district has for necessary upgrades. There is no need for sponsors or donations. The overall cost comes down to about $8,161,341.

Next school year, Rolling Meadows and Elk Grove will be getting athletic facility upgrades as well. The exact updates are unknown, but the plans are confirmed. Wheeling has recently gotten upgrades and won’t be included in this project.

According to the D214 Board of Education, the last time the scoreboard was updated was in 2007 and the track in 2009. The field was last updated in 2010. The turf, specifically, has exceeded the normal life span, as it usually only lasts seven to nine years. The last time the turf was updated, the school partnered with Mount Prospect Park District and split the cost. This year, D214 has made the decision to get these upgrades alone; however, the field needs less work this year.

When the turf was first installed in 2010, a foundation was laid for structural support, drainage and water retention. An agreement between Prospect and the park district gave them access to the stadium turf and expanded upon the existing Intergovernmental Agreement between the two organizations that primarily allowed for reciprocity of facilities that included the Mount Prospect Golf Course and the gymnastics gym.

Because of all the changes at Prospect, many athletic summer camps will be affected. Any sport that takes place on the turf and track will be impacted the most. To ensure all sports still have their opportunity to practice, McDermott has been planning to maximize all of the grassy regions around the school, even some parts that aren’t used very often. As Prospect is a 60-acre campus, there are plenty of areas for teams to use. One section in particular is between the softball fields. According to Mirandola, they are able to fit a partial football field for practicing.

One way to save space is to move boys’ and girls’ track and field to Rolling Meadows, so they can still practice over the summer with a track. Sports like cross country will be able to improvise with the other areas the campus has to offer.

Girls’ cross country and track coach Pete Wintermute is excited for the new track and what it has to offer. During past meets, he has had runners become confused about where to stop. Since they repainted the track a few years ago, old markings have resurfaced — what Wintermute calls “ghost markings.” There are also several holes that fill up with water after it rains, along with foundational cracks.

“I was pleasantly surprised, but also happy as [a new track is] definitely a need,” Wintermute said.

Junior track and field athlete Lucia Peshek is also very excited for the new track. As a runner, she uses the track very often and doesn’t enjoy all the little flaws that come with the older facility.

“When you get a new track, it becomes a little more springy in a way,” Peshek said. “Your joints feel better when you’re running.”

There are multiple different benefits that come from these upgrades. Getting a new track will not only be better for the runners, but it will look and feel cleaner. It will also promote better drainage and reduce injury risk. Many runners get shin splints from the current track, so the upgrade will be easier on their bodies. The new turf will stay at a consistent temperature and will be more compact.

“There is going to be a positive impact for them to be able to play on a different surface that’ll improve our game,” McDermott said.

The LED stadium lights will be cost effective and more energy efficient. They can be programmed to match music playing over the speakers.

There are many benefits for the new LED scoreboard. It can provide a way for companies to advertise, which brings revenue to the school. It can also supply more opportunities for the media classes to create graphics and replays to run on the screen. In addition, the scoreboard can highlight clubs and groups that aren’t advertised very often. Mirandola’s goal is to “showcase the student experience at Prospect.”

Although the renovations will provide students with safer and upgraded facilities, Mirandola says what truly benefits students is the culture surrounding Prospect athletics.

“We’re putting money into a facility that is going to be used by a large percentage of students during the day and after the day,” Mirandola said. “That’s a good use of [our] resources because it really is maximizing the impact they have on current knights and future knights.”

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