Let There Be Light! Central’s Softball Field Has Lights Installed After 10-Year Wait

CENTRAL SOFTBALL PLAYERS WELCOME ADDITION OF LIGHTS -- The addition of lights on the softball field will benefit the entire school, not just the players!

Savannah Smith

CENTRAL SOFTBALL PLAYERS WELCOME ADDITION OF LIGHTS — The addition of lights on the softball field will benefit the entire school, not just the players!

DayOnna Carson, Staff Writer
October 25, 2016

Central’s softball team is ecstatic about the new addition to their field. After much debate, Hamilton County finally agreed to having lights set up on Central High School’s softball field. There had been many prior setbacks, due to a lack of lighting during games, but now there is hope for the rest of the season.

“It was like Christmas in October for the softball team!” remarked LeeAnn Shurette, the softball coach and wellness instructor.

The athletic department has been requesting this improvement for nearly ten years, which is almost how long the field has been around. Roughly $80,835 was used to make the softball players’ wish a reality. By selling the old Summit Child Development Center, county commissioners were finally able fund this project.

“It was very unexpected! I’m excited that we get to play at night just because we haven’t before. I just hope it doesn’t interfere with getting to support the baseball team, since they have always played after us,” stated Brooke Parrott, a softball player and senior at Central.

In the past, it was mandatory for softball games to start at by five in the evening, so that there would be enough daylight for players to see. At one point, a match had been cancelled mid-game due to extreme darkness. Now that there are lights on the field, our softball team might be able to host tournaments here at the school, and attract a bigger crowd of watchers. The new lights will also allow distant schools to compete against our team since the games can begin at a later time.

“It would be nice to have batting cages,” added Shurette, “Batting cages would provide shelter for our players during colder and rainy weather, in case we can’t make it to the gym to practice.”

Central’s facility is constantly being improved in order to promote a more comfortable environment for its students’ learning. This latest addition will prove to be beneficial to both baseball and softball players. More people will be interested in the events at our school, which will help fund other projects like this in the future.