San Diego Padres Join Burbank Elementary Students in Celebrating New Baseball and Soccer Field
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San Diego Padres Join Burbank Elementary Students in Celebrating New Baseball and Soccer Field
August 13, 2024
SAN DIEGO - A new playfield at Burbank Elementary School is officially ready for use.
San Diego Padres all-star players Xander Bogaerts and Mark Loretta joined students on Tuesday to celebrate the opening of the UTK-through-5th grade campus’ new synthetic turf baseball and soccer field.
The dedication ceremony started with a surprise visit from the Padres’ signature “Friar” mascot and an energized “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” performance from 3rd-grade students.
Located along Sampson Street in Barrio Logan, the field includes soccer striping and a baseball field with a San Diego Padres logo in the center, portable fencing, a portable backstop, and a remotely operated scoreboard.
“This field is transformational for students and coaches who were used to playing on the blacktop,” said Francisco Solis, Principal of Burbank Elementary School. “To have the San Diego Padres here was just icing on the cake.”
The new turf field replaces the former basketball and volleyball courts, which were relocated to the center of the campus. The new basketball, volleyball, and tetherball courts include new basketball striping, netting, pipes, and four-square courts.
The project also includes upgrades to existing restrooms and improvements to accessible travel paths.
Serving the Barrio Logan community for 53 years and counting, Burbank Elementary School offers dual-language immersion classes to ensure its largely Hispanic student population can follow courses and learn English simultaneously.
The field construction was funded by San Diego Unified’s Capital Bond Improvement program. The San Diego Padres contributed to its logo, a Little League-sized baseball diamond, batter’s box, bases, pitcher’s mound, striping, and a large tuff shed for storage.
“Thanks to our taxpayers and great partners, we can enhance facilities at schools in the Barrio Logan community and beyond,” said Richard Barrera, Board of Education Trustee for San Diego Unified.
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