Thirlby Field, meet the 21st Century.
A grass-roots effort is determined to transform the 73-year-old facility shared by three high schools — Traverse City West, Central and St. Francis — into a modern facility that serves the community.
Launched last September, Fourth and Goal's mission is to bring basic amenities plus improvements to the field on 14th Street. Fourth and Goal is a fund of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation and is privately funded.
Upgrades for Phase I, some of which organizers hope could debut next fall, include adding restrooms, locker rooms, referee dressing rooms and concessions under the stands as well as an elevator to increase access to the stands and press box.
Gone will be decades of long lines for porta-potties, teams trotting over to Glenn Loomis Elementary School at half time and cramped concession stands lacking running water.
"I tell people it's a great place to watch a game and a terrible place to go to the bathroom,” said Tim Brick, co-chair of the effort with Vince Prusick.
Based on reaction from the community in just the first week of football season, Fourth and Goal has tapped a deep need. The organization turned to the Traverse City Area Public Schools, owner of the field, for help and received approval for a $1 surcharge per ticket. Tom Hardy, St. Francis High School athletic director, presented the board with a check for $1,200 last week just from that school's first game.
"He said there was not one negative comment made,” said Vince Prusick, co-chair of Fourth and Goal, of the surcharge, noting that Fourth and Goal will also seek funding from corporate donors and foundations.
TCAPS also approved use of vacant property it owns across from Thirlby Field for a parking lot. Proceeds
from customers, who pay $3 per car for convenient parking, directly benefit Fourth and Goal.
"Last evening was the first time anybody has ever manned that,” noted Prusick Friday evening, standing with other volunteers near prominent signs promoting the lot. "We had people driving by and some not even going to the game and some not even going to park there, handing over dollars and saying, 'This is a worthwhile project.'”
"We're kind of overwhelmed by the response,” he added.
Built in the 1930s, Thirlby Field got its first upgrade in 1994 after the community chipped in spurred by a significant estate donation from Harry Running. Approximately two thirds of the $3 million raised by Between the Fences went to Thirlby Field to replace rough wooden bleachers and add new stadium lights. The rest of the funds went to area softball and soccer fields.
Fast forward to 2007, where the proposed upgrade to the local landmark comes with a vision of benefiting more than high school football.
"It needs to be done for football alone, but the potential is unlimited and it's never been realized because [the field] has been off limits,” said Brick. "It's one of the only areas in Traverse City where you can hold a large event and control the access.”
Fourth and Goal's Phase II is key to boosting Thirlby's broader potential. Currently, use by marching bands, junior varsity teams, Pop Warner football, cheerleading or other organizations is restricted to protect the grass. Fourth and Goal members have sought input from these and other related organizations as they look to the future.
Brick also speculated that potential future community use could one day include car or boat shows or events of the Traverse City Film Festival.
"If you're really visionary… what if they put the ice rink, for example, on the field?” he imagined. "What if they played a Central-West ice hockey game there, it would be an amazing spectacle.”
For more information about Fourth and Goal, go to the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation's web site, www.gtrcf.org, select Find a Fund and type in Fourth and Goal.