Students help design new Sugar Land baseball stadium

SUGAR LAND, TX Fifth graders at Commonwealth Elementary are taking part in a unique lesson, one that makes their work part of history.

When the new baseball stadium is built in Sugar Land, you'll be able to see the fingerprints of those fifth graders in its design. They've been tasked with creating attractions in the classroom that can translate to reality at the ball field, game-time activities and other marketing efforts to help draw families to the baseball games.

"In two years I'll be able to see it and say I helped make this, I put this part into the ballpark," student Keagan Goldwait said.

"Just reading a book, you don't really understand it unless you do it," student Sarah Angelo said.

From dozens of ideas, they've selected three: a water park, a fishing school for the stadium, which is situated on the banks of Oyster Creek, or a giant maze.

They recently presented the ideas to developers as part of the 2030 workforce project.

Jay Clancy came up with the idea as a way to better engage students expanding learning beyond the classroom.

"They rose to every challenge that we gave them in ways that we never could have imagined," Clancy said.

School leaders and the stadium developer say the ideas are a hit.

"The growth that we've seen has been amazing to watch," Principal Charmaine Hobin said.

"They're coming up with better ideas in some cases than we had," said Christopher Hill with Opening Day Partners, the developers of the stadium.

Developers say it's humbling that such great ideas come from the brains of 10- and 11-year-olds. They wouldn't have it any other way.

"Not many people get to help make baseball stadiums like we did," student Zach Dagnall said. "I'd be glad no matter what."

The team's name has been chosen and is set to be revealed Wednesday after a contest which drew 8,000 entries. It's down to three: King Canes, Skeeters or Lizard Kings.