PELLA—Thanks to the financial support of Central College's passionate alumni, fans and friends, more upgrades are underway in the college's A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex this summer.
           
Workers recently removed the football turf from Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium and are installing new FieldTurf artificial turf. New goalposts are also being installed to the football-only field.
           
Meanwhile, a new, expanded Daktronics video screen replacing the original stadium videoboard and a much-needed reconstruction of the college tennis courts are part of the comprehensive upgrade plan.
           
Total cost for the three projects exceeds $2 million. Vice president for athletics Eric Van Kley said additional support is needed to complete the upgrades.
           
"We're getting close and we're so grateful to those alumni and friends who are showing their support for our student-athletes through their gifts," Van Kley said. "But we're asking others to join them. We're mindful of the need to be good stewards and ensure that all improvements are fully funded through outside support. And we want to make sure these projects are completed on schedule."
           
Gifts can be made online by selecting "athletics" at https://central.edu/alumni/ways-to-give/online/. Or call Sunny Eighmy, vice president for advancement, at 641-628-5272.
           
"We're excited that we can use these projects as an opportunity to provide enhanced experiences for our students, which is always our No. 1 priority," Van Kley said. "Creating opportunities for students is at the heart of everything we do."
           
The football clock and scoreboard, which were previously separate components, will now be incorporated into the video display, allowing for a larger screen with enhanced visibility. Installation begins in July, with completion in advance of the Dutch football opener Sept. 7 against Illinois Wesleyan University.
           
Van Kley is hopeful that reconstruction of the college tennis courts will launch later this summer as well. While the courts were resurfaced multiple times over the years, this is the first time they've been completely replaced since the facility was built more than 40 years ago. A construction crew will first pour a new, longer-lasting concrete pad. It must cure for 30 days before a new playing surface is installed on top of it.
           
The six tennis courts will be surrounded by new fencing, with shorter fencing on the west sides, allowing for improved viewing for competitor teammates and coaches.
           
The tennis courts can also be converted to 12 pickleball courts as local interest in that sport continues to explode.
           
"The expected life of the football turf we're replacing was about 10 years, so 12 years in, we were due for a new field," Van Kley said. "Likewise, the videoboard requires a lot of sophisticated hardware that gets exposed to some pretty harsh elements throughout the Iowa winters and summers. It was wearing out. And our tennis courts have exceeded their useful life. We don't want to just paper over the issues there with a temporary solution. We want to do it right."
           
Van Kley notes the projects are also components of the college's Imagine More initiative as Central continues to invest in its deep ties with the Pella community.
           
"Adding the ability to create an accessible space for pickleball during times when our courts are needed for tennis is a direct response to a community need," he said. "And we're pleased that we can offer Schipper Stadium and our new field to provide a temporary home for Pella High School football and band this fall as the new high school facility there is constructed. These kinds of city and college partnerships don't happen everywhere. They're part of what makes this community so special."
           
Van Kley also emphasized that the athletics facility upgrades are ongoing. Additional improvements to the baseball, softball and soccer fields are among the projects on the horizon.
           
"We're not standing still," he said. "We continue to look for ways to enhance student experiences and keep Central ahead of the pack. We're confident that the continued generosity of our supporters will make that possible."