New athletic field increases pride at Cardinal Ritter

Members of the football team of Cardinal Ritter High School in Indianapolis practice on the school’s new multi-sport athletic field on Sept. 12. The field is a source of pride for the Cardinal Ritter community. (Photo by John Shaughnessy)

By John Shaughnessy

Greg Perkins has noticed a different look in the eyes of the student-athletes at Cardinal Ritter Jr./Sr. High School in Indianapolis when they stride onto the school’s new nearly $1 million athletic field and track.

“They don’t say much, but you can see it in their faces,” says Perkins, the president of the Indianapolis West Deanery inter-parochial high school. “There’s a sense of excitement and pride in protecting their home turf.”

Perkins has noticed that same sense of pride and excitement in the voices of the parents and alumni who have seen the new facility, which has already been used extensively for football practices, girls’ and boys’ soccer games, and Catholic Youth Organization sporting events.

“There have been a lot of parents who come up to me and say, ‘I just can’t believe it! This is fabulous!’ ” Perkins recalls. “It just shows that when you get a group of people together and say, ‘This can happen,’ it happens. We’re very proud of our place.”

That pride also extends to the school building where improvements in recent years have included a new chapel, library, band room, art room and updates in lighting, carpeting, furniture and air conditioning to many classrooms.

“When people select a school, academics is the most important part for many people. And we always emphasize the difference that our faith approach makes. But people also look at facilities,” Perkins says. “With our athletic field, we’re able to use it for a lot of activities. The band practices on it. The [physical education] classes are on it. CYO will use it for football, soccer and track. Now, our facilities are as high quality as our education.”

Students rave about the new turf athletic field, according to senior Bryan Schmidt of Avon. As a football player, he remembers practicing on the old field, which became mostly dirt, dust and rocks by mid-season. As a track athlete, he recalls running on the old cinder track.

“From last year to this year, you’d think it was a miracle,” Bryan says. “Last year, you would worry about getting a rock in your elbow. This year, it’s just some turf in your cleats. It’s nice to play on. It’s a big change.”

He has also noticed the effect the field has had on student-athletes in other sports.

“Before we had this field, we didn’t have home games for soccer,” Bryan says. “They like playing at home. You have a little more pride when you play at home. Overall, it just makes the school look even better than it did before. It really stands out.”

Another point of pride is that the athletic field project was originally supposed to be done in 2014 as a key part of the school’s Create Campaign, a four-year fundraising effort that started in 2010. The campaign also has the goals of raising money for financial aid, teacher compensation and technology improvements.

One reason the field was completed two years ahead of schedule is because of the savings from a cooperative approach between Cardinal Ritter and Bishop Chatard High School in Indianapolis, which also unveiled its new athletic complex this summer. The schools saved money by sharing supplies and using some of the same vendors, Perkins noted.

“It was very beneficial for both of us,” he says.

One of the people most pleased by Cardinal Ritter’s new athletic field is longtime physical education teacher Mary Crum. After enduring years of dust, mud and cinders from the previous field and track, she exudes joy when talking about the new facility.

“The students are unbelievably proud, and even past students are excited when they see it,” she says. “It’s a feeling of, ‘This is my high school and look what they are doing.’ It’s awesome.” †