The Athletic Fields Campaign

Sewickley Academy is a premier institution with a championship athletic program. The Athletic Fields Campaign will support the development of personal and team excellence for our student-athletes.

More than 85 percent of our students in the Middle and Senior Schools participate on at least one athletic team each year, and many students play multiple sports. The physical education program begins in Pre-K and in Grade 4 the intramural developmental programs are introduced.

Sewickley Academy has an athletic program that wins four WPIAL championships in a year and has a no-cut policy for every team. This campaign is seeking to create premier athletic fields to support our student-athletes who learn and demonstrate discipline and perseverance, the ability to win or lose with grace and humility, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

Benefits

Sewickley Academy will have a high performance natural grass facility in a beautiful setting for varsity teams at Nichols Field. We will also have artificial turf at Frick Field that will serve as a premier practice facility for all levels, and a premier game facility for varsity softball and field hockey teams and Middle School teams.

Questions & Answers

How much will this project cost?
The Campaign goal is currently set at $750,000, which will cover projects on all three fields.
What activities will take place at the new Frick Field?
- Varsity and JV soccer practices
- Varsity and JV lacrosse practices and winter workouts
- Varsity and JV field hockey games and practices
- Varsity softball games and practices
- Varsity and JV baseball winter workouts
- Middle School lacrosse games and practices
- Middle School soccer games and practices
- Middle School field hockey games and practices
- Middle School softball games and practices
- Lower School recess and intramurals
If the problem is with Nichols Field, why doesn't the school just turf Nichols Field?
The answer is complex. First, Nichols is a premier grass field in a beautiful, natural setting. The problem is that Nichols Field is simply overused. Second, our varsity soccer and lacrosse coaches prefer to have a quality grass field, with the ability to practice on turf and play some home games on turf at Robert Morris University. Third, the incremental cost to turf Nichols Field would be almost triple our estimates to turf Frick Field because of size, and much of the construction activities at Frick is already underway and funded through the PICTURE THIS Campaign. Lastly, we have all permits in hand to turf Frick Field. It could take years to receive construction permits from Edgeworth Borough to turf Nichols Field, with no guarantee they would be granted.
When will the new turf field at Frick be available for use?
The new turf field at Frick Field is now ready and open for play, practices, and games across all three divisions!
Why can't we build a regulation sized soccer and lacrosse field at Frick?
The dimensions of Frick Field are not large enough for regulation sized varsity soccer and varsity lacrosse games. However, Middle School games will be played at Frick.
Will we continue the contract with RMU for use of its turf stadium?
We will continue to contract with RMU for soccer and lacrosse games and practices. We generally can get access to this field when needed.
How will a turf field at Frick benefit Lower School students?
Lower School faculty and staff are excited because having turf just outside the doors of the LS will mean reliable access to play space for recess and other activities. In the past, Frick Field was often closed to LS recess because of its conditions. Installing turf on Frick Field means open space for kids to run and play year round.
How will a turf field at Frick benefit Middle School students?
MS students will have access to a field on the main campus, maximizing practice times and creating opportunities for games on turf for MS athletic teams. Our Middle School athletic programs are vital feeders to our JV and varsity programs, and having access to a turf field will greatly support the development of our Middle School athletes. It is worth noting that more than half the Middle School lacrosse games and practices this past season were cancelled due to the lack of an available field.
Why should an academic institution like Sewickley Academy invest so much money in athletic fields?
We believe that athletic participation is essential to our mission of developing well-rounded students at Sewickley Academy. Our student-athletes learn the value of teamwork, commitment, determination, achievement, school spirit, and physical exercise. Fortunately, we have a very high percentage of our students participating in athletics. However, the popularity and success of our athletic programs and
the resulting demand for quality playing fields have overwhelmed our existing resources. By turfing Frick Field and improving and better managing Nichols and Wardrop Fields, we can provide the quality playing surfaces our student-athletes deserve.

Contact

For more information about The Athletics Fields Campaign, contact the Advancement Office at advancement@sewickley.org or 412-741-2230 ext. 3045.

Frick Field

Campaign Projects

FRICK FIELD
(shown above)
• Installation of new artificial turf facility
• New softball backstop with seating for the home & visiting teams
• LED wireless scoreboard
• Seating for spectators

NICHOLS FIELD
• LED wireless scoreboard for soccer, lacrosse & baseball
• Completion of irrigation system
• Professional improvements to grass & ongoing maintenance
• New baseball backstop
• Construction of team meeting room

WARDROP FIELD
• LED wireless scoreboard