Johns Island Park fields are expected to be completed in time for St. John's High School baseball and softball season
Nov 15, 2024
JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) - Officials confirmed that the fields at Johns Island Park are on schedule to be completed in time.
Charleston County School District (CCSD) is working on this project that is expected to bring new lights, grass, batting cages, and more to the facility. St. John's High School parents were concerned after delays pushed back the much needed renovations, but are now breathing sighs of relief.
"Oh, that's just amazing. I mean we've lost sleep over this," Karen Tetrev, baseball parent at St. John's High School, said. "The players are going to be so excited, they are working so hard. I mean they do batting in an old tennis court. They just do what they can."
The park serves as a home base for the high school's baseball and softball teams, but it is owned by the City of Charleston. The players commute to the facility for pre-season and in-season practice as well as games.
"We're grateful that the city allows us to use this facility, that's a great positive seeing as we don't have place on campus," Lindsay Jackson, baseball parent at St. John's High School, said. "But we just feel like them and district might not understand the plight that our student-athletes are having to go through."
Despite the challenges of having an off-campus field, the student-athletes are still able to play competitively with their peers.
"The boys and the girls are both competitive in their region, like last year - the year before last they won the region," Jackson said. "That was the first time in 37 years and a lot of the young people on these teams, they came up on the Barrier Island leagues as well. So this is great, we're really building baseball on Johns Island here but we need to have the facilities."
As a primary location for these players, the completion date is crucial. Parents said these renovations are expected to bring the high school up to the equivalent of other high schools in the area, fulfilling the promises that were made.
"I think they are just going to be so excited to hear that they are being valued and put as a priority in the community," Tetrev said. "I think it's going to make a huge difference to the high school, I think it'll draw more families, and I think in the long run everyone's going to be happy we made this happen."