Construction continues on new Regina athletic field

WARREN — Piles of dirt and bulldozers occupy the field right now, but in time, Regina High School will have a brand-new athletic complex.

In October, the school community gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the commencement of construction for the Diane Laffey Athletic Field & Complex. The new complex will be located behind the high school building.

Plans include a synthetic turf field, eight tennis courts, an eight-lane track, a junior varsity practice field, and track and field event areas. The Diane Laffey Athletic Field & Complex will also have an official entrance and ticket booth, bleachers, a press box, outdoor restrooms and concessions, a parking lot update and storage facilities.

The school hasn’t had an athletic complex since moving in 2007 from its Harper Woods location to the current building at 13900 Masonic Blvd.

“Regina is continuously investing in its infrastructure to continue to lead as a college preparatory high school of choice in the east tri-county region with a thriving, diverse enrollment of young women,” Regina President Mary Treder Lang said via email. “It is an investment in the future of girls, women in sports and our community.”

Regina High School Athletic Director Emily Frikken, who is a 2009 graduate of the all-girls Catholic school, said the complex will be built in three phases.

Phase one will include construction of the tennis courts. Construction on phase one has already begun and is expected to be completed by the start of the spring sports season in April 2024.

Phase two will include work on the track and synthetic turf field to be used for soccer, lacrosse and field hockey.

During phase three, construction crews will work on the rest of the project to install bleachers, a junior varsity softball diamond, restrooms, a concession building and a ticket booth.

“We’re using every possible space we can to get as many sports as possible,” Frikken said. “Regina has had such a strong athletic tradition for so many years. It’s time to showcase the talent and excellence (the athletes) have always had. The city of Warren has been so supportive of this whole project.”

The entire project will cost close to $6 million dollars.

“It is being funded by donors, fundraisers and potentially public funds, corporate foundations/grants as (a) result of the desperate need for this facility in the (southeast) Michigan area, particularly Macomb County,” Treder Lang said. “Not only does Regina High School need this state of the art complex but our community does as well.”

DVM Utilities Inc., based in Sterling Heights, is the construction company, and Nowak & Fraus Engineers, located in Pontiac, are the project engineers.

The new complex is named after retired Regina Athletic Director Diane Laffey, who for 50-plus years influenced and mentored students as a coach and educator. She retired at the end of the 2021-2022 school year.

Laffey first joined the Regina family in 1970 as a physical education teacher. With her skills and knowledge in sports, she served as the head basketball and softball coach and eventually became the school’s athletic director. Laffey was such an influence on her students that she left a lasting legacy.

“During her coaching tenure she has won over 600 basketball games and over 1,100 softball games as well as producing hundreds of athletes that have gone on to further their education in college,” Treder Lang said. “I am proud and honored to have her in our Regina family.”

Laffey achieved many highlights during her career. She is a member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, the National Federation of State High School Associations Hall of Fame, Michigan Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and the Michigan Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

In 1991, Laffey was the recipient of the Michigan High School Athletic Association Women in Sports Leadership Award. The award is presented to the person who makes major contributions to preparing women for positions in athletic administration.

Laffey was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.