August 22, 2024
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Streator High School soccer prepares to play at James Street Recreation

Plan is to play varsity games at the former football field for the 1st year

By Derek Barichello
Soccer goals have been moved to the James Street Recreation in anticipation of Streator High School playing its boys soccer games there this fall.

Soccer goals have been moved to the James Street Recreation in anticipation of Streator High School playing its boys soccer games there this fall. (Derek Barichello)

Streator High School wasted no time in preparing the fields at James Street Recreation for boys soccer season this fall.

The high school finalized an agreement July 5 with the city of Streator to convert an underutilized large baseball field and football field into the new home for its soccer program.

The high school is focused on the football field, which is located on the far north of the complex. Crews are treating and spraying the field surface to have it ready to go this fall. Crews also have started to remove the outfield fence on the former baseball field.

We’re in a transitional phase. ... In four to five years, we hope to make this a top notch facility.

—  Nick McGurk, Streator High School athletic director

While the long-term plan is to play varsity games where the large baseball field is now, the football field will be ready for play first. The girls soccer team also is expected to play its home games at the former football field in spring 2024.

“We want people to know we’re in a transitional phase,” said Streator High School Athletic Director Nick McGurk. “The goal will be to have the varsity play (where the baseball field is at) by the 2024-2025 season, but there’s still more work that needs to go into it. In four to five years, we hope to make this a top notch facility.”

The district will use $63,000 to support improvements for the fields via a Community Partnership Grant with the Illinois State Board of Education. The district also will mow and maintain the fields.

McGurk said head boys and girls varsity soccer coach JT Huey is enthusiastic about the move, as well as the parents in the soccer program.

“We believe we have an opportunity to erase the negativity associated with James Street over the past 15 years,” McGurk said. “We hope to reverse the way the community feels about it.”

The football and large baseball field were inactive this summer, with weeds growing in the baseball infield. The city still owes about $900,000 on funds it borrowed in 2006 and refinanced in 2017 for the construction of James Street and Anderson Fields Golf Course. The high school district approached the city in April, looking to move its soccer complex to James Street, in an effort to give its soccer program its own facilities, as well as take stress off the baseball and softball fields shared by the soccer programs.