For a century, Manual Stadium has been the heart of crimson spirit, a place where generations of students and fans have gathered to cheer, celebrate and compete. After 100 years of history, Manual Stadium has finally gotten major upgrades. From brand new turf to upgraded stands and improved accessibility, all to make Manual Stadium safer and more enjoyable for fans and players for years to come.
JCPS and other JCPS high schools paid for the new turf field designed specifically for Manual. When the news of the renovations came out, Manual knew it needed to be a part of a larger renovation for the stadium, so they worked with donors and the Crimson Mission to make it happen.
“I was so excited when the renovation was announced,” David Pellman (12, HSU) said.
The field is designed for football, lacrosse and soccer. All these sports were always played at Manual Stadium but never with the comfort they have now that the stadium is open after some delays in construction. However, these delays frustrated students and players.
“Well initially we had some delays, and that certainly impacted us because we wanted to use our home stadium, but we couldn’t,” football head coach Keith Eckloff said.
Keeping up a grass field is significantly more difficult than the little maintenance required for a turf field. This in return keeps players safer and improves their ability to play the game that they enjoy. In recent years there has been a lot of talk about the safety of turf fields for players, but in high school it seems to be more acceptable given how much harder it is to maintain a grass field.
“From my perspective, it was important to me to put in a good quality turf field, and I think they did that,” Eckloff said.
Off the field, there have been many changes made to improve the great atmosphere of Manual Stadium. Things such as a new video board, new walkways, improved stands and new accessible seating have been added. All these modifications were necessary to improve safety and comfort for all at Manual Stadium.
“I think the facility was definitely in need of an upgrade. It’s wonderful to have all that great history and I think they have done a great job at preserving that, but we certainly needed an upgrade,” Eckloff said.
The new scoreboard was a large new upgrade added to Manual Stadium that wasn’t as necessary as some of the other renovations but was exciting, nonetheless. It brings higher technology to Manual Stadium that not many schools in the area have access to yet. The new scoreboard has the ability to show the crowd noise level and displays hype videos to help get fans riled up for the game and, most importantly, the players.
“We have always had such a great crowd there that it’s hard to say it’s changed in terms of game conditions, but in terms of the pride the kids feel in their facility, that has really made a big improvement for us,” Eckloff said.
The new stadium also excites the players to play at home and raises the crowds’ energy.
“I was so proud to get to walk out onto the new field and updated stadium. I feel like it truly upped my pride and excitement when playing at home,” Pellman said.
All these renovations for Manual stadium have been very important to better the experience of students and fans, from a brand new field to impacting players on the field to the improved entrance, walkways and stands.
