Cheers of thousands of high-school students resounded for blocks as they celebrated the opening of a new athletic field at the Galileo Academy of Science & Technology in San Francisco. There to inaugurate the new field was All-Pro football player Guy McIntyre of the San Francisco 49ers, who starred at the grand-opening and dedication ceremony on October 9.
A $200,000 grant from the National Football League and Bay Area LISC’s Youth Football Fund Grassroots Program made the renovation possible.
The students had much to be excited about. Dubbed “the jewel of San Francisco in athletic fields” by Galileo Athletic Director Ethan C. Winterling, the football field is the only one in its quadrant of the city. It will become the stomping ground for over 2000 students on sports teams and in physical education programs at Galileo and for thousands of youth from the school district. Many Galileo students live in neighboring Chinatown, and the majority come from economically disadvantaged families.
“If I didn’t have a place to play, I wouldn’t be here today,” McIntyre said in a speech before helping cut the ribbon. “A lot of dreams will be realized on this field. It will give a lot of people a lot of opportunities.”
At the ceremony, Galileo football players unveiled a sign dedicating the field to the late George White, who coached the “Mighty Lions” at Galileo for 27 years and is in the California Coaches Hall of Fame. “He could take his team and beat yours, and then turn around and take your team and beat his,” recalled Galileo’s Athletic Director Ethan C. Winterling, who was on a team that White coached decades ago.
The football field had fallen into disrepair since White’s days. The renovation replaced damaged grass with professional-quality synthetic turf. Galileo’s athletes promised to take full advantage of their asset. “We plan to do a lot of winning on this field; we’re not going to let you down,” assured varsity football captain Charles Jones.
The NFL Grassroots programs aims to use football to promote positive youth development, a lesson brought home by the Rev. Norman Fong, Deputy Director of the Chinatown Community Development Center, who spoke at the event. A Galileo alumnus who works with many students who live in Chinatown, Fong encouraged students to make a difference not only “on this field, but in the field of community.”
Galileo invited McIntyre to be a guest judge for 65th Annual Song and Yell Contest, a spirit competition that accompanied the grand-opening. Although the seniors won the contest, the entire community won a prize.
