Metairie Park Country Day breaks ground on new turf field: “Freedom Field”
Freedom Field is coming to Metairie Park Country Day.
The Caroline and Bo Reily family and other generous supporters gathered this month to celebrate the groundbreaking of Freedom Field, a new turf athletic field that will be installed on Country Day’s campus in the upcoming months, with an anticipated completion date in the fall of 2024. The Reily family is also excited to donate a new scoreboard in memory of their son, Jack Reily ‘11.
Reflecting on the project, Metairie Park Country Day Head of School Rob Hereford remarked, “This is an extraordinary moment in the history of Country Day. Thanks to the generosity of the Reily family and friends, our School will now have a state-of-the-art field where our student-athletes can play and train year-round. This versatile field will accommodate multiple sports, including football, boys’ and girls’ soccer, boys’ and girls’ track and field, as well as our physical education programs across all divisions.”
The field, named Freedom Field, honors the inspiring words of Country Day’s founding Head of School, Ralph Boothby:
“To satisfy the needs of the individual child; Freedom to develop naturally, which does not mean license to invade other people’s rights. Attention to play and physical development for every child. The utilization of children’s interests for educational ends. A large place for beauty in nature, in art, in music. Friendly relationship between pupils and teachers, with teachers functioning as guides rather than taskmasters. Such cooperation between school and home as will make the two, supplementing each other, provide for the whole development of the child.”
This development reflects the School’s commitment to providing exceptional facilities for its students. Country Day extends its gratitude to the Reily family and all the supporters who have made Freedom Field a reality and looks forward to watching their students thrive on this new field, embodying the values and vision that have guided Country Day since its founding, and continuing our tradition of excellence in both academics and athletics.