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Residents ask Franklin County board to name grass soccer field for longtime coach Bob O'Brien
Summary
A group representing the O'Brien family asked the school board to name the district's grass soccer field after longtime coach and youth-league leader Bob O'Brien, citing five decades of volunteer service and community impact; the board said the request is under review and staff will follow up.
During the Sept. 8 meeting of the Franklin County Community School Corporation, Rob Allen addressed the board on behalf of the O'Brien family and asked the board to name the district's grass soccer field after longtime coach and youth-league organizer Bob O'Brien.
Allen said the request concerns the grass varsity/practice field (not the new multiuse turf stadium) and described O'Brien's decades of volunteer service. "He is soccer in Franklin County," Allen said, and he urged the board to consider O'Brien's more than 50 years of work organizing youth soccer, coaching and maintaining fields. Allen told the board the youth program historically drew roughly 350 children and emphasized the volunteer nature of O'Brien's contributions.
Allen provided the board with a written list of O'Brien's coaching history and civic involvement and noted that O'Brien recently received a state-level soccer recognition. "This man's got a wonderful reputation, folks. So please take into consideration our request," Allen said.
Board members acknowledged the request and said the item is under consideration. A board member told Allen the matter has not been forgotten and that staff will follow up; Superintendent Dustin Gehring or his designee will coordinate next steps with the requesters.
The board did not take formal action on the naming request at the Sept. 8 meeting.
