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Glaspie Field
Glaspie Field
Martin High School
4501 W Pleasant Ridge Rd, Arlington, TX 76016
ABOUT GLASPIE FIELD
The Michael Glaspie Field Athletic Complex was a Bond 2019 project that renovated the existing practice field at Martin High School and converted it into the Arlington ISD’s third competition field.
The new athletic field at Martin was included in the 2019 Bond because the district needed three competition fields for its six high schools. Arlington ISD owns Wilemon Field at Sam Houston High School and Cravens Field at Lamar High School, but it rented UTA Maverick Stadium for its third competition field. However, Arlington ISD no longer has access to UTA Maverick Stadium and needed a replacement competition venue. The new field at Martin provides that third varsity competition field and serves as the home for Martin and Seguin high schools.
The new stadium, designed by VLK Architects, includes approximately 10,000 seats, a larger press box, locker rooms, restrooms and concessions. Architects were careful to consider the campus’ existing layout, neighbors, traffic flow – cars, school buses and pedestrians – and parking in their design. They included a landscape buffer and fencing between the stadium and neighboring homes and utilize modern LED lighting. The LED lighting is significantly better than traditional lighting in that it can be directed into the stadium and onto the playing surface more efficiently, has considerably less spillage from the venue and can be turned on and off quickly.
New stadium funded by the 2019 Bond
New stadium funded by the 2019 Bond
Nearly 35 years ago, Michael Glaspie made history as the first Black trustee elected to the Arlington ISD Board of Trustees.
“I ran, got elected; the rest is history,” Glaspie said Thursday night as he stood on the new athletic field that now bears his name.
Arlington ISD honored Glaspie and officially opened Glaspie Field with a ribbon-cutting ceremony before Seguin High School’s football game.
Looking back on his decision to run for the board, Glaspie shared what motivated him decades ago.
“I had three kids going to this school district,” he told the crowd. “One entering elementary, one entering junior high, and one entering high school. There was nothing going on in this district that I was not concerned about.”
Glaspie went on to serve nearly two decades as a trustee and later as a member of the Arlington City Council. He reflected on his lifelong commitment to public service by quoting Shirley Chisholm:
| “Service is rent we pay for the life we live on this earth.” |
“That’s one thing I’ve been trying to do is pay my rent while I’m on this earth,” Glaspie said.
Glaspie has paid more than his share of rent. His decades of leadership and community impact are why the district chose to name its new, state-of-the-art stadium in his honor.
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