Saint Mary’s Hall is proud to announce that the renovation and upgrade of Lewis Stadium commenced earlier this summer, thanks to the generosity of the Lewis family. Last fall, Kim Lewis, Rod Lewis, and their family pledged $1.66 million to enhance and upgrade the facilities. Through their generosity, Saint Mary’s Hall will replace the track and field surfaces, the stadium lighting, and the scoreboard. Once completed, the stadium will house a modern playing field, track, and improved fan experience for athletes and students.
Originally built and dedicated in 2012, Lewis Stadium is a cornerstone of campus life and the centerpiece of our athletics facilities at SMH. Today, through the SMH physical education and athletic programs, every Baron from Montessori to Form 12 learns and practices ways to promote lifelong health and fitness. Each year, the stadium hosts thousands of student-athletes for three seasons, nine varsity teams and seven middle school teams at competitions, practices, and events for the school community and our city. From star parties to track meets, from pep rallies to Founders’ Day, Lewis Stadium hosts some of our most pivotal traditions and events throughout the school year. Each week, every Baron has the opportunity to enter this facility for PE, athletics, or another event core to their student experience.
Head of School Len Miller stated, “We are deeply grateful to the Lewis family for their ongoing generosity and tireless support of Saint Mary’s Hall. This gift represents a tremendous investment in our students, coaches, programs, and student experience. Lewis Stadium is a hub of campus life at Saint Mary’s Hall, where we come together to connect and compete. We cannot wait to cheer on our Barons as they take the field this fall.”
Researched and vetted by our coaching staff and facilities team, the new state-of-the-art track and field surfaces include technologies to enhance the athlete experience. The field incorporates new padding and a thicker surface to improve gameplay and reduce surface temperatures by 30 degrees, increasing player stamina and reducing the risk of injury. The track has a new, thicker, and cooler surface that improves “bounce” and increases protection for our runners. Our renovated lighting system increases visibility on the field using LED lights. And finally, the new, entirely LED digital display replaces our current scoreboard, allowing for a more customized game experience for each sport and season. The new display gives students a chance to create videos for our teams and showcase their cinematic abilities, and allows us to host community events and movie nights in new and fun ways.
For nearly three decades, the Lewis family has been a part of the Saint Mary’s Hall community. Kim and Rod Lewis first joined the SMH Community in 1995 as parents of three Barons, Jessica Lewis Worth ’00, former Trustee Nicole Lewis Pace ’00, and Amanda Lewis Adkisson ’05. Jessica and her husband, Clint Worth, are deeply involved as volunteers on campus and the proud parents of three Lower School Barons.
Demolition for the project commenced at the end of the school year, and construction will continue throughout the summer. The project is scheduled for completion in early August and will be ready for our fall sports season. We will rededicate Lewis Stadium this fall to celebrate our new facilities and the family who made it possible.
