Rumors! Rumors! Rumors! What does ODA have cooking in the pot now? Perhaps an indoor surfing complex or a domed arena football field with padded walls?

Nope. But it is trues that amidst much planning for ways to make campus even more accommodating of our needs, current plans call for solutions to field overcrowding. On any given day, track runners risk getting clocked by an overshot football, and cheerleaders risk getting run over by a soccer player. In true ODA form, if you wanted to play on two teams, you could be at both football and soccer practice on the same field at the same time.

While specific plans are still being held under wraps, the Out-of-Door Academy will be adding to its already huge sports complex by building brand new multi-use fields designed for football, soccer, or lacrosse.

ODA Athletic Director, Brett Timmons, said, “My idea is to build a better athletic program. I do not have much information about these new rising fields, but I do know that they will help our sports community significantly. No more discussions on who gets the field for practice and who has to practice somewhere else.”

“My intention in the upcoming years would be to make these fields for mostly lacrosse and football, leaving the other fields for soccer and track,” he said. “There is even talk about maybe creating a new stadium with these fields. Also maybe even creating a new gym. It is still being discussed, but my main goal is to make our sports program excel.”

The new fields will be reportedly located towards the back of the campus out near the baseball fields. There are a lot of big hopes coming out of the new complex.

If everything goes as planned, ODA would take a huge leap in their sports department. A new facility would make more space, which in turn would give middle school and JV teams a place to practice. New fields would alleviate the cramming on our current fields and diminish the risk of an on-field student collision.

ODA students rising to the Upper School experience will have lots to look forward to as our campus continues to thrive and grow.