BAYSIDE ACADEMY
FIELD to FACILITY INITIATIVE
Transforming a Field to a Core Campus Facility
Shaping the Next Generation of Bayside
Over the past 24 months, the generosity of Bayside families and friends has powered the most significant improvements to our campus in nearly two decades. From our Sports Complex on Highway 64 to the heart of our campus, Phase I of our Capital Campaign has transformed Bayside — and the momentum has never been stronger.
Phase I resulted in nearly $15 million in committed investments. The Bayside community has spoken with generosity and conviction.
Now, the time has come to carry that momentum forward — and the next step begins right here on Freedom Field.
Before we can advance our plans for the athletic facilities including a new competition gymnasium, we must first complete the foundational piece: transforming Freedom Track & Field into a true, year-round campus facility.
This is Bayside’s Field to Facility Initiative.
WHY IT MATTERS
A Field for Every Bayside Student, Every Day
Today, Freedom Track & Field is largely a game-day destination. Football plays there on Friday nights. Soccer uses it for home matches. For the other 22+ hours of most days, and for the vast majority of our student body, it is essentially unavailable. The Bayside Field Facility Initiative changes that entirely.
365-Day Access
A natural grass field is seasonal, weather-dependent, and fragile. Turf changes everything. The field becomes a year-round, all-weather resource — open to every student, every team, every program, every day.
Outdoor Education
Physical Education moves out of the gym and into the sunshine, onto a full field. Bayside's deep commitment to outdoor time and place-based learning finds its natural home in a facility worthy of that mission.
40 Athletic Teams
Bayside fields 40 competitive teams year-round. Practice fragmentation — driving to the sports complex, finding space, managing schedules — eases dramatically when a full-size, professional turf field is right here on our school campus.
More Time at Home
Today, student-athletes as young as 16 drive to our sports complex every afternoon for practice, often without proper locker room access. A turf field on campus means more practice hours at school and more evenings at home with family.
The Path to a New Gym
The turf field is not just a project: it is the prerequisite for the broader athletic vision. Having a multi-use field will allow us to continue our current programing while building a new on-campus competition gym, lockers, showers, and workout facility.
Community Gathering
Freedom Track & Field becomes a true community hub — Friday night lights, morning track workouts, afternoon practices, outdoor assemblies, and the kind of campus energy that defines the Bayside experience.
PROJECT SCOPE
What the Field to Facility Initiative Includes
Premium Artificial Turf
Full regulation football and soccer field with Bayside Admirals branding, end-zone graphics, and the Admiral logo at midfield.
Track & Field Expansion
Expanded track footprint to accommodate competitive track and field events, including throws, jumps, sprints, and hurdles, bringing enhanced athletic programming to campus.
Fence & Concrete Collar
A new perimeter fence with a durable, professional-grade concrete collar around the track for spectator access, safety, and aesthetics.
New Stadium Lighting
State-of-the-art LED stadium lights with programmable light show capabilities, setting the stage for memorable Friday nights and special events.
Sound System*
Integrated speaker system for game-day atmosphere, announcements, and community events.
Landscaping & Entry Enhancements*
Professional landscape enhancements with defined entry points to establish Freedom Track & Field as a true campus destination — befitting a facility named in honor of our community's values.
*THESE ITEMS ARE CURRENTLY CONTEMPLATED AS PART OF THE PROJECT SCOPE; HOWEVER, FINAL TIMING AND INCLUSION MAY BE ADJUSTED IF OVERALL PROJECT COSTS ESCALATE OR PRIORITIES REQUIRE REALLOCATION.
Transforming Freedom Track & Field
Bayside Academy's Freedom Track & Field has long been the backdrop for Friday night football, weekend soccer matches, and heavily attended track meets. But for the majority of our students, the field sits off-limits on most school days. That changes with the Bayside Field to Facility Initiative.
This initiative represents a first critical step in the our plans to enhance our athletic facilities— and the key that unlocks everything that follows. Without a modernized, multi-use field, the broader vision cannot proceed. This is the cornerstone.
THE CAMPAIGN
A Matching Gift Opportunity — And a Deadline That Matters
Several of Bayside’s most committed supporters have come together with a remarkable demonstration of faith in this project and in our community. They have established a matching gift commitment of $1,150,000 — and they are asking you to meet them.
Every dollar raised for the Bayside Field Facility Initiative will be matched, up to $1.15 million. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to double your impact and to be part of a transformation that will benefit every Bayside student for decades to come.
$1,150,000 $1,150,000
WHY NOW
Construction Must Begin This Summer
This is not a "someday" project. Construction must begin this summer to ensure Freedom Track & Field is complete with minimizing interruptions to all athletics. The timeline is set. The design is ready. The matching gift is in place. What remains is the community's response.
Every week we wait narrows the construction window. We are on a mission — a timely, urgent, and entirely achievable one. The Bayside community has shown before that when the school calls, families answer. We are calling now.
“One of the greatest joys of Bayside is our commitment to outdoor life, time in the sunshine, and time together as a community. Freedom Track & Field should not be a seldom-used corner of our campus. It should be the heartbeat of it.”
— Dr. Scott Phillipps Head of School
HOW TO GIVE
A Thoughtful Approach to Philanthropic Partnership
All sizes and types of gifts are meaningful and essential to the success of this initiative. Strategic, well-planned commitments can dramatically enhance a donor’s ability to make a transformational investment. Pledge commitments of up to three years are welcomed, with flexible payment schedules offered monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually.
Outright Cash Gifts
The simplest and most direct form of support.
Gifts from a Donor-Advised Fund
A tax-efficient way to make a meaningful gift.
Gifts of Appreciated Stock or Securities
Avoid capital gains while maximizing your impact.
Qualified Charitable Distributions (IRA)
Ideal for donors 70½ or older.
Phase I Achievements
° New state-of-the-art Middle School building
° Added parking and needed infrastructure
° Bluff improvements enhancing bay views
° Drainage upgrades across campus
° Cross-country course at Sports Complex
° New practice fields at Sports Complex
° Interior and exterior enhancements to Moorer Gym
° Painting and refresh of several campus buildings
° Strategic planning to advance campus transformation
Coming Summer 2026:
°New Belrose Avenue entrance with security upgrades
Phase I: $14.6 Million in Commitments
The foundation is built. The mission continues.
A Note on Turf Safety: Our Research, Our Commitment
We know that turf safety is a priority for Bayside families, and we want to be clear: we share that commitment completely. Before advancing this initiative, our team conducted extensive research on field materials, surface temperatures, and player safety standards. Today’s artificial turf is a fundamentally different product from the surfaces of even ten years ago. Modern turf systems — including the materials and infill we are evaluating for Freedom Track & Field — are engineered specifically to address the two primary concerns families have raised: heat and injury risk.
Surface Temperature: Newer turf technologies, including heat-reflective fibers and cork or organic infill systems, have demonstrated measurably lower surface temperatures compared to legacy black crumb rubber turf. We are actively vetting products that prioritize thermal performance and are appropriate for our Gulf Coast climate.
Injury Rates & Player Safety: Research on modern synthetic turf surfaces consistently shows comparable or, in some categories, improved outcomes relative to natural grass when it comes to lower extremity injuries — particularly when the surface is properly installed and maintained. Unlike natural grass that becomes rutted, uneven, or waterlogged, a well-maintained turf field provides a consistent playing surface that reduces the unpredictability that causes so many injuries.
We are committed to selecting a product that reflects our core value of responsibility — to our students, their families, and the Bayside community. The safety of our children is not a line item. It is the standard against which every decision in this initiative will be measured.