HAMMOND – With the blessing of Bishop Robert J. McClory, a number of Bishop Noll Institute leaders, supporters and contractors broke ground on June 20 for the first major renovation of the school’s outdoor athletic facilities in 60 years.
The initial phase of the renovation – carrying a price tag of $4.3 million and scheduled to be completed next summer – calls for a new turf field for football and soccer, the addition of a regulation eight-lane track and field event areas, plus a grandstand/press box with seating for 1,500, and lighting.
“For the past 12 years, we have made numerous and strategic improvements inside our school building to provide our students with the best possible tools and facilities to excel in the classroom,” said BNI President Paul Mullaney (Noll ‘77) at the groundbreaking. “Now it’s time to turn our attention outside to the facilities that serve as an extension of the classroom. Our students deserve the same level of quality in their outdoor facilities.”
While football and girls soccer teams will sacrifice home games during the 2023 fall season to allow for construction, a number of the players showed up in uniform to support the project.
“I’m a senior, so I won’t get to play on the new field, but I’m happy for my (younger) teammates and to see improvements made at my school,” said soccer player Reese Reid, of Griffith. “I hope it brings more students to the school, and I will be very excited to see a game played on the new field.”
Sophomore football quarterback Jaydin Rivers, of South Holland, Ill., just transferred and is looking to future seasons. “The plans are really nice, and I’m looking forward to the new field and the atmosphere it will bring,” he said.
The first phase of the project is being funded by a $500,000 gift from the Diocese of Gary, revenues from the recent “Ignite & Inspire” capital campaign, the annual Mary Whelan Memorial Golf Outing, and other donations.
Three subsequent phases of the project will include multiple buildings for restrooms, concessions, four locker rooms and a storage garage, plus a ticket/admissions entrance and fencing, new softball field with press box, dugouts, bullpens and portable outfield fencing. These subsequent improvements are likely to cost another $4.5 million, funded through a new capital campaign, “Fielding Our Future.”
“We are asking all of our stakeholders to prayerfully consider continuing their support for our plans,” Mullaney noted.
“We ask that the work we begin today will build up the Kingdom of Christ,” said Bishop McClory as he sprinkled holy water on the future athletic fields and those in attendance. Calling on God’s inspiration “that this project will be blessed by You to completion,” he additionally asked that its students “will be disciples of Christ well-formed in knowledge, virtue and service.”
Michael Whelan (Noll ‘85), BNI Building and Grounds Committee head, said the athletic facilities upgrade “will be a game-changer for the spirit and athletics at BNI. It’s a commitment that Bishop Noll will be here for another 100 years.”
BNI board chairman Mark Cloghessy echoed that sentiment. “We just closed our 100-year anniversary and now we’re investing in the students for the next century. I want to thank the faculty, alumni and parents for their commitment,” he noted.
Dan Yerks, a civil engineer from Wightman, the project architectural firm headquartered in Benton Harbor, Mich., said “It’s great to be part of a longstanding tradition, and it is always nice to work on something positive for the community.”
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott, Jr., noting that he is the parent of two BNI graduates, praised the school for its efforts. “I’ve seen Bishop Noll reinvent itself and reinvest in its future. That’s how you stay alive and stay relevant,” he said.
Athletic Director Cynthia Wilson spoke on behalf of her coaching staff, saying, “We are so excited that this is actually happening. The kids have been hearing about it, and now they will have new fields. We have a good fan base, the kids support one another, and now they will have new facilities that people will see and want to come back to for games.”
Girls soccer coach Joe Garcia, (Noll ‘92), played on the BNI Class 2A State Championship football team in 1989, and admitted that the demise of the old football field “is a little bittersweet. But my youngest daughter will get to play on the new field, and new facilities have definitely been needed for many years. Everything they are building will be a great addition.”
BNI Principal Lorenza Jara Pastrick, speaking by video while at a school administrators conference, said top-notch athletic facilities are important to the families of today. “They want to see a beautiful space that their kids can grow in outside of the classroom,” Pastrick said. “The reality is (that) sports play an integral part (in) the growth and development of students, an important part in growing leaders and young disciples. This is very exciting. It’s a great day for Bishop Noll.”
Preparing for its 103rd school year, BNI is the largest of three Diocese of Gary high schools, with last year’s freshman class the largest in 23 years with 186 students.