“It’s a lot of gratitude,” Badin President Brian Pendergest said, pausing to watch students, alumni and community members mingle along the concourse. “Gratitude to all of our donors, our alumni, our friends of Badin and community members who made this a reality.”
The opening comes as the school begins its 60th year, and the project — once just sketches and conversations — has become a tangible home field for its athletics programs after years of travel.
The SportsPlex, Pendergest said, gives current players, students and graduates a true place to call their own.
On opening night, that sense of belonging was hard to miss. Student council hosted a tailgate and alumni filtered back to the campus. Joe Sackenheim, a 1980 Badin graduate, sang the national anthem before each game.
The facility still has finishing touches ahead — additional amenities and opportunities for donors to purchase commemorative bricks — but Friday’s debut was ultimately a celebration of new beginnings.
“People that haven’t been here to a game in years, maybe decades, felt it was important to be here tonight,” Pendergest said. “That means a lot to us as a school. Badin has always been about community, and it’s great to see that come to fruition.”
‘It only helps sports’
When Eric Hickey played soccer at Badin, home matches meant a trip to Joyce Park — where the fields were bumpy, the facilities modest and, sometimes, players walked away from tackles with bits of glass in their knees.
On Friday night, as Badin’s boys soccer coach, Hickey stood on the sideline of the new Matandy SportsPlex and marveled at how much had changed.
“For these guys to have this, and to be able to warm up on a second turf field — I would have never thought it,” Hickey said. “I never in a million years would’ve thought we’d be practicing on two turf fields behind the school, with a locker room. What they’ve done here is fantastic, and it only helps sports.”
Fans filled the stands, while the school’s trademark green and white was everywhere.
“That’s what Badin is all about. The community travels,” Hickey said. “Soccer, basketball, every sport — you’re going to see a green and white army coming. … You know they’re coming, and we’re going to pack the house.”
Badin’s boys team ultimately fell 2-0 to Elder, but Hickey said the result was secondary to the atmosphere. For him, the real story was the setting — a gleaming facility that has instantly become one of the premier venues around.
“It’s a magnificent facility, and the boys love it,” Hickey said. “I think it’s one of the better ones in the city. The energy was incredible. Our guys were engaged, the crowd was engaged, there was a big student section. They loved it.”
The Greater Catholic League has long prided itself on passion, and Hickey said his Rams won’t be the only ones who want to experience the new complex.
“The other teams are inspired to play here,” Hickey said. “Elder will bring a big group, and our guys feed off that. Every team at Badin knows the community is going to show up, and our players respond to that energy.”
For Hickey, a proud 1987 Badin graduate, the night was personal. He couldn’t help but compare his playing days to the moment unfolding under the lights — a moment he knows will be remembered as a turning point for the school.
“I didn’t like losing,” the coach said, “but in terms of the atmosphere? Boys and girls, to see this many people here on a Friday night for soccer — are you kidding me? This was fantastic.”
‘This complex is a game changer’
Badin girls soccer coach Chris Slusher didn’t dwell on the scoreboard Friday night. For him, the debut of the Matandy SportsPlex was about much more than a result.
“This complex is a game changer,” Slusher said after his Rams suffered a 5-0 loss to defending Division IV state champion Summit Country Day in the first-ever contest at the school’s long-awaited home facility.
“It’s fantastic. Honestly, I think it might be the best place in the city to watch a game — especially at night. Friday night football is going to be incredible here. And then having the second turf field for practices, right here on campus, is huge.”
For decades, Badin teams had borrowed fields from across Butler County — most recently at Spooky Nook. Friday’s doubleheader gave Rams athletes, alumni and their fans a long-desired home.
“There was a lot going on for us tonight,” Slusher said. “We were really nervous. A lot of people came just for the stadium itself. You’ve got the hype around the new venue, plus you’re playing against the state champions — it was a lot to handle. But this stadium is incredible, and the atmosphere was amazing.”
Slusher praised athletic director Geoff Melzer and assistant athletic director Nick Browning for the way they set the stage.
“If you saw the pregame, it was pretty amazing,” Slusher said. “It felt like something you’d see at the college level.
“Tonight was special. To see this place full of people, to feel that energy and to know this is our home — it’s something that’s going to impact Badin athletics for years to come.”
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