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Friday, August 1, 2008
The Chance(s) of a Lifetime
Central Indiana, IN
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Later this month, Lucas Oil Stadium (LOS) will welcome its first paying customers.
I think it’s wonderful that those spectators will be entering to watch high school football, specifically Peyton Manning’s PeyBack Classic, and more on that in a moment.
During its construction, the local media often have referred to LOS as the “Colts stadium” and, in fairness, that’s not entirely inaccurate. When all is said and done, the Colts are the primary tenants and will reap most of the financial rewards associated with the stadium.
That said, it is anything but a “Colts stadium” and one has to look no further than its predecessor, the RCA Dome, for example.
Not long ago, in researching the history of the Dome and sports events that have been held there since its opened in 1984, I discovered – somewhat to my surprise, I must admit – that the most frequent sporting activity to take place in the Dome was high school football.
By my highly unofficial count, more than 400 high school football games were played there over the years and I dare say that virtually every school in Indianapolis and the surrounding counties had the opportunity to play in the Dome at least once.
And, that would be in addition to the annual Indiana state high school championships that take place every Thanksgiving weekend.
Hardly a late-summer or autumn weekend passed without a high school double- or triple-header at the Dome. And, I think it’s important – and special – that high school athletes have the opportunity to run, pass, block and tackle on the same field that hosts Peyton Manning and his pals on Sundays.
The same can be said for Conseco Fieldhouse, the IU Natatorium and the IU Michael Carroll Track Stadium at IUPUI.
The point is this: these facilities are not limited to elite or professional athletes. In my view, it’s not just nice, it’s essential that our high school and amateur athletes have some access to these venues.
An example I always like to provide is how our oldest daughter took her first swimming lessons at the IU Natatorium. We then began taking her to national championships and Olympic Trials at the venue. The point was made that she could not only be inspired by watching America’s finest swimmers, she could compete in the same facility, which she did in age group and high school meets, including the state championships, throughout her competitive career.
Let’s face it … for most athletes, those competitive careers end with high school graduation. What a thrill it is to be able to compete in the same venues that host the world’s finest elite and professional athletes.
And, in the case of the PeyBack Classic, what an honor it will be for the teams representing Noblesville, Fishers, New Palestine and Whiteland to be the first to take to the field in Lucas Oil Stadium on Aug. 22. Theirs is a distinction that will last a lifetime for the players and coaches involved, and some young athletes will be able to look back and say, “I had the first” whether it be kickoff, tackle, touchdown run or pass, interception, etc.
Of course, after the PeyBack Classic on Friday night, the next day (Saturday, Aug. 23) will feature a quadruple header with Elwood taking on Heritage Christian, Shelbyville against Greensburg, Zionsville versus Lafayette Jefferson and Avon meeting Hamilton Southeastern during the Marsh Indiana Invitational.
Only after all that will the Colts take the LOS field for the first time, hosting Buffalo on Aug. 24.
And, it’s a certainty that as the season unfolds, LOS will be busy with more high school games leading to the state championships in November.
It’s been my pleasure to be part of media tours in LOS the last couple of years. The stadium is, in a word, fantastic. That high school teams get to open it is a win-win, even for the squads that don’t emerge victorious.•
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