More than 120 yards of athletic fields
worn down by a decade of use at St. John Paul the Great High School in Dumfries
are getting an upgrade this summer. Thanks to the generosity of Mike and
Corrine Kosar, the parents of a rising senior, the football-size field will
receive fresh sod, bleachers with 700 seats and an 8-foot by 18-foot press box.
The adjacent practice field also will be sprigged with Bermuda grass.
"It will help (our students) grow in virtue through the pursuit of athletics and we will have this beautiful place for community-building events.” Dominican Sister Mary Veronica Keller
“I’m super excited about it,” said
Dominican Sister Mary Veronica Keller, principal. “This project really supports
our mission, which is rooted in the formation of youth in the life of
virtue, as well as the Dominican tradition of prayer, study, community and
service. It will help (our students) grow in virtue through the pursuit of athletics
and we will have this beautiful place for community-building
events.”
The new bleachers will provide a place
for the whole school to assemble for Mass, the monthly house system
competitions and events to promote evangelization.
“We just see this as the next step as
appose to this being the end,” said Corrine Kosar. “This is just taking the
project to the next phase, and we would hope that others would join us on that
journey. There is just so much opportunity in other areas of the school to help
build out this great community.”
According to Athletic Director Chris
Vander Woude, the new fields will be a special treat for the girls and boys
soccer teams who have qualified for the state tournaments for the past two
years. He hopes that being able to host soccer games at home will give the
teams a boost.
“Athletics are great because of what
they teach the young person and they allow the students to use their God-given
gifts in a certain way,” said Vander Woude. “We pursue excellence in sports
here at Saint John Paul the Great just like we pursue excellence in all the
other areas with a focus on the dignity of each human person.”
The renovations are scheduled to be
complete by the first home football game this fall.