Foundation Academy draws closer to debut of new field | Observer Preps

WINTER GARDEN Once the sod was put down at the site of the new stadium and field being constructed at Foundation Academy’s South Campus, it didn’t take long for school President David Buckles’ phone to start ringing.

“People are driving by on the (State Road) 429 and the phone started ringing — ‘Oh my gosh, I see the field, and I see where the track is!’” Buckles said.

The laying down of the sod in mid-October for the new facility at the Winter Garden-based school was a big deal in more ways than one. Not only was it a huge milestone in the construction process, but also it was a step that had been delayed thanks to Hurricane Irma in September. The storm caused damage and flooding on the school’s South Campus, located on Tilden Road, and flooding also caused delays in receiving the turf from the sod farms.

“It really was exciting, because it had been such a long wait,” Athletic Director David Baginski said. “With the hurricane, it put everything back weeks — even over a month. To finally see the trucks roll in here with the rolled-up turf and watch them laying it out — it was a big deal for everybody.”

The delays have meant a postponement in the timeframe for the first athletic event on the field. Originally, in the spring, school officials had hoped to have the field ready for the end of football season.

But Baginski said the community that worked so hard to generate the capital for this project has been understanding about the setbacks beyond the school’s control.

“There’s some disappointment there — my son is a senior football player,” Baginski said. “But, I think when you look at it objectively, (the parents) understand that we have to take care of the complex and make sure it’s healthy for years down the road.”

In addition to the sod, goalposts are up — as is the scoreboard.

Although the storm was long since passed, weather is still a crucial part of the equation as to when the first game will take place on the field. Cooler weather and less rain mean that the sod will take longer to settle, so Buckles and Baginski are hopeful that warm temperatures will linger a little longer.

Either way, the administration remains patient.

“I was hoping to try and get our soccer season (senior night) on this field, but it’s still going to be questionable because of the (sod) grow-in,” Buckles said. “If that doesn’t grow in, I’m not going to risk an injury to any child.”