Leland Middle School

Ashlynn Morton opened the conversation by saying, “There have been conversations about the baseball sports complex going right outside of the Brunswick Forest neighborhood, behind the entrance. The people who live in Brunswick Forest are not very pleased with the idea of a minor-league baseball stadium by their neighborhood. I have some other ideas that will make more people want to go to the stadium.

We could have a multipurpose stadium. When it is not baseball season, you could host even more sports. You could have a drive-in movie theater for the little kids during a game, restaurants for the people who get hungry, shops for people who are just visiting, bowling for people who want to have a fun little game, and arcades for kids to win prizes. This would make the stadium more profitable, and more people would have fun. There are so many ways to bring an idea like this and make it as good as it can be.”

Malia Flaverney added, “For example, you could put arcades, mini-mall, playgrounds, gyms, fields, courts, different places to eat, splash pad, movie theaters (maybe drive-in), batting cages, or you could even put a summer camp in their sports or not sport related.”

Charlie Sedbrook, such a plan should include a community soccer field, maybe a community pool, or even a community playground. I don’t see a problem with a baseball field, but instead of being boring, add some fun to it.

Anisa Henry thought the idea was a good one to provide more entertainment to people in this area.

Lily Rae Bradley would only go to this planned area if it included a bakery or strip mall for teens.

Carson Goralski believes the plan should include sports paraphernalia shops and an arcade.

Leo Tidwell thought it would be a great opportunity for teens to meet teens from around the county. Leo also feels it may encourage more teens to try different sports.

Elizabeth Ford commented, “I think that it should have more than one sport. I think that it should have restaurants, arcades, gyms, baseball fields, basketball courts, football fields, and I think that it would be great for all ages.”

Isabella Billings felt the plan should be a multi-sport stadium. Isabella also commented that teens would be interested if the plan also included a swimming pool/splash pad and skating rink.

Jeffrey Falank felt that interactive things such as a pool, multiple stores, and restaurants could be profitable and fun for people.

Atreyu Simpson expressed people would meet new people. He says, “One question I have is will parents be able to drop children off or will they have to stay and watch them depending on age?

Michael Hawkins, the bard of LMS, summed it up best:

“I remember my first baseball game, the smell of ballpark hotdogs loaded with chili and mustard. The freshly ironed jerseys a symbol of undying loyalty, the leather gloves lifted with a striving need to catch that one-in-a-thousand hit. I was too young to see it but this place was magical, it was a place where nothing else mattered but what inning it was. This diamond was more than a playing field; it was its own world where the anthem was sung was shouted at the tops of adoring lungs. All the sights and sounds battered my face like an expensive perfume. When it was over, the image of dirt-ridden players cheering over a win, 10-0, stayed in my brain. I would want a stadium to come to Leland so everyone can have that unique experience that they can remember forever. You could even add more teen-friendly attractions like arcades, milkshake bars, sports memorabilia stores, and more as long as more kids get out of the house and find a sense of wonder in the world that maybe they can find in the stadium.”

BC Early College High School

Kyler Terry stated, “Because the taxes would increase in the future and the land might turn into more apartments or homes, it would be better if they built the stadium to provide Leland’s people with entertainment and bring the community together.”

Cedar Grove Middle School

Josh McGinty says, “it’s going to bring a boom to our economy and bring more people during summer vacation season. The stadium can also bring kids and families a fun activity to do on the weekend. Hopefully, the stadium will have some things for the younger kids to do if they don’t like baseballs, like an arcade or maybe a food quarter and other things like a bar for adults. This can bring more business to other places around the stadium because, after the game, all you want to do is to go eat or go do something fun.” But Josh also warns there are downsides to this including traffic, taxes, and impact on local businesses.