McAuley Evens The Playing Field For Female Athletes
CHICAGO — With four out of five incoming freshmen participating in one or more sports, Mother McAuley High School knew it had to improve its facilities – and fast – for the next generation of student athletes.Two years ago, the Catholic girls high school installed a turf soccer field and softball diamond rivaling those of the all-boys Brother Rice High School next door. But when it grew dark in the early fall evenings, practices and games came to an end. And scores were kept manually.“Up until last year we practiced on grass at Yukich Fields,” senior Betsey Bracewell said, captain of the Mighty Macs lacrosse team. “While those fields have a special place in my memories, I’m happy to say I will never have to dread practice after the rain, leaving covered head to toe in dirt from the mud pit of the field that day.”Last week, before a stage full of dignitaries, elected officials and students, McAuley gathered for a mighty unveiling of a new digital scoreboard and LED light system that will not only enable the lacrosse, soccer and softball teams to extend their practices, but to play games under the lights as well. “Today, we celebrate another milestone in Mother McAuley’s commitment to young women to provide them with the best facilities to compete and perform in their athletic endeavors,” school president Carey Harrington said at the unveiling. “The country is buzzing with excitement and pride in girls athletics. As usual, Mother McAuley is ahead of the curve because we’ve always valued women’s athletics. In fact, 100 percent of our athletic resources are devoted to young women.”The $2 million investment was made possible by the Tom Hopkins Foundation, Marquette Bank and an anonymous donor. The Tom Hopkins Foundation was founded by his children to honor the legacy of their father, Tom “Papa Hops” Hopkins, who died in 2014 from cancer. Hopkins coached, refereed and mentored hundreds of youth across the area and helped to foster their love of sports. Over the past decade, the foundation has donated thousands to fund sports programs at ten South Side Catholic schools, who use the money for uniforms, facility improvements, and sports equipment. Papa Hops' only daughter, Anne Hopkins, is a 2013 McAuley alumna and coach of the lacrosse team.Marquette Bank’s sponsorship of the new scoreboard is part of the nationally recognizedMarquette Neighborhood Commitment that supports local organizations and causes throughservice projects and donations. With the “Caitlin Clark Effect” heightening women’s sports in terms of viewership, enthusiasm, sponsorship and excitement, McAuley is no stranger in its quest to keep pushing for full equity and facilities that girls athletics deserve. “I’m very encouraged but cautiously optimistic. It’s exciting but we still have a long way to go,” Harrington told Patch. “I don’t want Caitlin Clark to be an anomaly. We want all girls sports to rise. It’s going to take resources and interest, but McAuley is doing its part.”McAuley is further exceptional because it’s the first all-girls high school in Chicago with a state-of-the-art turf field. “If [the school] is coed they probably have a turf field because they probably have a football program,” Harrington said. “This is unique because we don’t have a football program, so we’re not investing in boys and girls, we’re just investing in girls. I think it will bring a lot of people to our campus to show off that we’re a viable option for a lot of young women.”The upgraded field will also allow McAuley to bring its lacrosse program – the fastest up and coming sport for girls – and soccer, the number one sport played by girls and young women globally. “We’re so proud for our girls to have this field,” Harrington said. “We’re such a community school so to be able to compete and bring on the energy of Mac Nation cheering them on, is something we’re thrilled about.”And with that, the Mighty Macs lacrosse team took to the field for a 5:30 p.m. game.The article McAuley Evens The Playing Field For Female Athletes appeared first on Beverly-MtGreenwood, IL Patch.
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