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Savage, MN
Joined July 2012
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Jason Bell retweeted
It’s that time of year again throughout the Midwest.
That time when we drive past high schools and see millions of dollars in turf fields sitting under ice and snow for months and months.
And again, I ask: Why are we allowing valuable school assets to sit unused?
Today, I’m going to show you a high school district that reports its rental revenue covers the dome’s operating costs without any taxpayer funding.
We’ll spend 100s of $1,000s of dollars on useless overpriced scoreboards to display graphics a handful of times each year, but we won’t seriously explore investing in seasonal bubble domes that could transform outdoor turf fields into year-round community assets?
Think about the possibilities: PE classes, high school sports, youth programs, senior citizens, community organizations, club sports, camps, tournaments and additional rentals.
When you mix in corporate partnerships, there are more opportunities, access and revenue for more community impact.
And before someone says it can’t be done - because people will always tell you why it can’t before they see it can - look at Minnetonka High School in Minnesota.
The school has been putting its Tonka Dome over its football stadium turf since 2004, typically from November through March.
As I noted earlier, the district reports that rental revenue covers the dome’s operating costs without taxpayer funding.
Think about that. That’s more than two decades of finding ways to maximize an existing school asset for kids, families, the school and community.
Here’s the link, too: minnetonkaschools.org/activi…
Imagine what more schools could accomplish with thoughtful management, creative scheduling, naming rights and community partnerships.
Instead of asking why we can’t do something, perhaps adult school leaders should start asking why we aren’t exploring it?
A turf field shouldn’t become a multimillion-dollar snow-covered decoration for half the year. One that most likely has a useless overpriced scoreboard sitting there with it, utterly useless for half the year.
We need to stop thinking about athletic facilities as places to host games and start thinking about them as year-round assets serving kids, families, schools and entire communities.
#MoreThanJUSTGames
Why haven’t high school districts in #Illinois put a bubble around their turf fields from Nov. 1 to April 1?
It would help on cold days, rain days, winter days and if left up long enough, it would help on heat days, too.
Think of a school like Hinsdale South, Hinsdale Central, Downers North or Reavis in the Chicago region for example that has a free-standing turf field that isn’t able to be used unless the weather cooperates.
All these turf companies are stealing money from districts getting them to buy new turf and then the turf is only used half a year. Tell me what other part of a school building has millions invested in it, and it’s only able to be used half a year by a school district?
You don’t think that turf would last longer - more years - if it was in a controlled environment half the year?
A bubble would help all high school sports programs, the band, local middle school programs, local JROTC and most of all - PE classes during the day.
Think about PE alone, as it’s the one high school course jammed more than any subject half of the school year in Illinois. Unlike classrooms, PE needs a good deal of space.
You have that outside space when the weather is good, but not in the winter or wet spring and fall.
A bubble costs a little more than $2 million and can done at no-additional cost to taxpayers for public schools, as it pays for itself over a 6-7 year window through rentals and an even shorter period of time if corporate naming rights are figured in.
You’re looking at needing to average $1,500-$2,000 in daily rentals during that 150-day stretch each year and a basic corporate naming-rights deal to have the bubble paid off in 7 years to then turn it into a revenue driver for the district so it can help enhance other facilities or programs within the district at no additional cost to taxpayers.
High school districts need to add true marketing leaders to their staff to realize they’re leaving opportunities on the table.
As the youth sports world continues to make deals with local communities and state officials to build facilities that they then gabble up and drive tax revenue, high school districts have valuable pieces of property that they’re misusing half the year because people are not seeing past the tree to see the forest of opportunity.
#MoreThanJUSTGames #IHSA
Jason Bell retweeted
Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson surprised a little boy named Connor, who received his last dose of chemotherapy 🥹❤️
(via @MottChildren)
Inspired by @CoachDanCasey Jenks cut up we got our 300lbs guy a passing 2 pt conversion in 10B ball tonight!
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Third straight undefeated season for Tonka 10th grade! Special kids upfront…8th and 10th grade brothers…150lbs center…15-13 OT OVER MG!
What in the name of Hobby Lobby is this? Where do we even begin to dissect this monstrosity????
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No tricks only treats… 28–14 victory for 10 a today… Huge shout out to Lakeville North for giving us a game when another team bailed on us… Incredible physical well fought football game… One of the best we’ve had in a long time
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Jason Bell retweeted
@GopherFootball OL coach, @Callybrian keeps developing OL that are more than “versatile”, they’re solutions to problems when the inevitable line shuffle happens.
Development is hard. But developing players that can play ALL 5 is something different.
➡️open.substack.com/pub/lechar…
