On March 31, 2025, CHS closed off part of the parking lot to start construction on the soccer field. This will upgrade the fields for the soccer team and many other CHS programs for years to come.
The construction of the new soccer fields has more than just new fields.
“What they are trying to do is complete returfing the field, putting in fencing that’s similar to the football stadium, and then putting in some new bleachers; and all of that should be done by the first of August,” explained Principal Brent Martinson.
The end goal for this project is projected to be at the beginning of August, before school starts. However, that is only the first part of the project. Martinson added that after the soccer season ends, construction will start back up. During that construction they will build a community building that has bathrooms and other things as well. At the end of all the construction, the field will only expand to take up about fourteen parking spots in the back lot.
These new soccer fields will greatly impact the athletic and music programs. Currently, the boys’ soccer team does not have a practice space at CHS, so they have had to practice at Dogwood Park for many years. The school knew that it had to change that because having them practice off school grounds is unsafe if someone were to get injured. Having two fields here will not only help the soccer teams to have places to practice on campus, but it will also benefit the lacrosse team by having a new practice field.
In addition to soccer and lacrosse, the marching band will also be able to use the fields for practice since they will now be turf, meaning that it will not get torn up as easily from the weather or activities. This will be beneficial for many of the students.
All this construction will not disrupt many school activities, though. The biggest disruption during this will be the parking at school. One of the lots has been closed, affecting how many parking spaces there are, but changes have been made to ensure parking goes smoothly. Some school activities are disrupted due to the construction, but arrangements for all of those have been made to ensure that they get all of their season’s needs in.
This project is still near the beginning, meaning that there have not been many questions about it. There have been many questions about the parking situation, but Martinson expressed:
“I think the kids have done a really good job at parking where they’re supposed to and doing the best they can. Our staff has done good, everyone is adjusting well, it just takes a little bit of time to get used to it.”
He continued to add that he thinks there may be more questions about it when more of the construction has been completed.
Overall, these soccer fields will have a great impact on the students at CHS.
“I would also say that our students deserve to have the best facilities, and with that said, this actually is a big upgrade for them that will benefit numerous, hundreds, of students. I think it’s a win-win for everybody,” concluded Martinson.
He believes that the students deserve the best the school can give them, and these fields are another way to provide that for them.
