As a members of the Bishop O'Connell school community, many have personally witnessed how our athletic teams are constricted in their ability to excel due to the limited field space for practice. The lack of lighting on our stadium field has resulted in teams sharing practice space, leading to incidents of player injury. This situation not only hampers the performance of our athletes but also poses a significant safety risk.

In Arlington, VA where we are located, there is an increasing emphasis on ensuring safe and adequate facilities for student-athletes. According to data from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), well-lit fields can significantly reduce injury rates among high school athletes.

The installation of field lights will allow us to schedule practices at different times, reducing overcrowding and enhancing safety. It will also enable our teams to host evening games, fostering greater community involvement and school spirit.

There are a number of rumors and misinformation regarding the attempt to light the fields in 2011. Most of them are untrue. The truth is that the attempt included a wide scope with NCAA level baseball lighting and a proper lighting spill survey was not delivered to the Arlington County Board in time for the vote. With the evidence presented at the time, the county board denied the lights and told DJO to return in 12 months, with proper evidence, for another vote. DJO reps sued the county to be reheard in 60 days and lost that suit. It has now been 13 years and it is time to revisit the proposal. Lighting technology has changed dramatically, the board has completely turned over, and we are a decade past the baseball field project which may have exceeded the original approved scope. 

We urge the leadership at Bishop O'Connell School to prioritize this issue by taking immediate steps towards installing lights on our stadium field in time for fall sports 2024. By doing so, they would be demonstrating their commitment not just towards improving athletic performance but more importantly towards ensuring student safety.

For the last 2 years, leadership has been presented with information, solutions, donations and even free lights to attach to the already existing stanchions in an effort to make this happen. Up until this point they have refused to acknowledge the interest or desire of the school community in this issue. They have also been less than transparent with reasons regarding why they are unwilling to even consider moving this forward.

If you have any questions, please email brighterDJO@gmail.com

This survey is not a request for donations, or volunteers, or ideas. It is only to present the level of community interest to school leadership to make the issue a priority of theirs. 

Please sign this petition if you believe that every student-athlete deserves a safe environment in which they can strive for excellence without fear or constraint.