September 15, 2026 CHELSEA, MI — The Chelsea School District officially broke ground today on a new 30,000 square foot Field House, located directly behind Jerry Niehaus Field, marking a major milestone in a vision nearly five years in the making. Members of the district leadership, school board, coaching staff, and construction team gathered at the site to celebrate the start of physical construction. Present for the ceremony were Superintendent Mike Kapolka, Assistant Superintendent Marcus Kaemming, School Board Member Sara Tracy, Director of Athletics Eric McCalla, Director of Operations Ross Potgiesser, Head Softball Coach John Daniels, and representatives from Rand Construction and Clark Construction. The building itself carries an overall cost of approximately $3.8 million, supported in part by a strong community fundraising push that secured $1.8 million for the project. The initial concept of this project began under former Superintendent Dr. Julie Helber and former Athletic Director Brad Bush, maintaining steady momentum across multiple years of planning, community engagement, and fundraising. “Today represents much more than a photo opportunity. This project has been nearly five years in the making, and it took a tremendous amount of support to get us to this point,” said Superintendent Mike Kapolka. “I cannot say enough about John Daniels and the work he has done throughout this process, particularly with his community fundraising efforts and continued commitment to this project. We have also been incredibly fortunate to have so many people in our community step forward and make significant contributions in support of our students. Just as important has been the steady support of our Board of Education throughout this entire process.” “This is just another example of how our community supports our district and student-athletes. I want to thank everyone for their generous support of this project,” said Athletic Director Eric McCalla. Construction is currently underway, with project completion expected by late spring 2027. Further updates will be shared with the community as construction progresses throughout the coming months.