Cullman High’s soccer facility is getting a major upgrade.
Officials with Cullman City Schools, Cullman High School coaches and student-athletes, as well as community stakeholders at large gathered Tuesday afternoon to officially break ground on a turf expansion project for the Cullman High School soccer field. The $2.3 million project includes a turf soccer field, as well as multi-use turf practice space that can also be utilized by the baseball and softball teams. Unlike the current grass field, a turf field will have much better drainage and be available for use year-round.
“We’re pumped,” Cullman High girls soccer coach Luke Hackbarth said about the plan, while thanking officials like Superintendent Kyle Kallhoff and the school board for their work getting the project off the ground. Boys soccer coach Will Drake noted he’d asked his team what they most wanted to see for the future of the school’s soccer program, and a turf facility was at the top of their list. Longtime Cullman High baseball coach Brent Patterson noted how far athletics at Cullman have come, joking when he first started out coaching, he’d even held practices in the police department parking lot when there was no dry field available. “To see something like this, now? It’s second to none,” Patterson added.
Work is slated to begin immediately with anticipated completion in mid-spring of 2024.
“As we stand on the brink of this exciting chapter, it’s essential to acknowledge the profound impact a facility of this caliber can have on our community, our athletes and the future of soccer,” Cullman City Schools athletic director Mark Stephens said. “We believe the key to sustaining competitive varsity programs is dependent on a commitment to nurturing talent, fostering a love for the sport and creating an environment that cultivates excellence. Those core values have brought us to this remarkable juncture. The facilities we are embarking on today will serve as a crucible for the forging of champions.”