The Catawba College Soccer teams have worked tirelessly this past summer and into the fall on a reconstruction project that transformed their playing facilities on Frock Fields. The project took a giant step toward completion in late September with the installation of new bleachers.
Sturdisteel of Waco, Texas, installed the bleachers that have a 524-seat capacity. The bleachers are raised from three and a half feet off the ground at the first row to 13 feet off the ground at the eighth row to allow easy viewing for fans. Fans with special needs can also access these bleachers, as construction included a wheelchair ramp and six spaces set aside to accommodate wheelchair and companion seating.
Catawba Athletic Director Dennis Davidson noted that fans would be able to enjoy the new seating at the soccer teams’ home games against Queens University slated for Wednesday. “This is an important and exciting step as we rebuild Frock Fields this fall,” he said.
Construction continues at Frock Fields with plans in the works for a new scoreboard, a team bench area and a two-story press box, as well as installation of a sidewalk to the new bleachers.
Some of the funding for the project was provided by a recent automobile raffle. The soccer teams sold tickets to raffle a 2010 Honda Civic donated by Auto House of Salisbury and raised $15,000 for the Frock Fields reconstruction. The owners of Auto House, Nate Brown and Sam Ketner, are both 2008 Catawba alumni and former soccer players at the college. Catawba Women’s Soccer Coach Michael Swan praised their support.
“We couldn’t have gotten as far with this project as we have to date without support of folks like Nate and Sam,” Swan said. “What a great way for them to pay it forward and benefit our current and future players.”
A Jacksonville man, Jay Faughnan, won the donated vehicle in the raffle. His win was announced at halftime of Catawba’s Sept. 21 football game against Newberry College.
Frock Fields is named in honor of the late E.B. Frock of Hanover, Pa., a 1933 alumnus who was a longtime trustee and a generous supporter of Catawba. Frock’s three grandchildren, all Catawba alumni, were on hand when the fields were dedicated. They include Carole Baublitz-Frederick ’82 of Hanover, Pa., Julie F. Crapster ’82 of Charlotte, and John D. Frock ’91 of Littlestown, Pa. Their father, E.B. Frock’s son Dan of Hanover, Pa., has established an endowment fund to maintain Frock Fields. A posthumous gift from the estate of the late E.B. Frock and wife Rebecca was used to establish the E.B. and Rebecca B. Frock First Family Scholarship fund at Catawba.