by Moira Cullings
moira.cullings@theleaven.org
LENEXA — Five words are inscribed on the gym floor at St. James Academy’s new St. Joseph Fieldhouse here.
President Andy Tylicki hopes their message will inspire those who use the athletic facility now and in the years to come.
“Let’s get with it today” was the motto of Mark Huppe, a longtime educator and coach in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, who passed away in November 2023 after an 18-month battle with throat cancer.
Although current students don’t have the experience of having Huppe in the building, Tylicki said his influence remains.
“We’re going to celebrate him forever,” said Tylicki. “We’re never going to let his legacy go.”
Mark Huppe Court, inside the roughly 13,500-square-foot building, is one way the school is fulfilling that promise.
Inspired space
The St. Joseph Fieldhouse is located just south of the school and contains two full-size basketball courts, eight basketball goals, two volleyball dropdown nets and two 70-foot hitting tunnels for baseball and softball.
“It is such a game changer for our campus and for our student-athletes,” said athletic director Jared Herzet.
“It’s a beautiful space,” added Tylicki. “It’s going to be very well-used, and I think people are going to be excited to be a part of that.”
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann blessed and dedicated the fieldhouse, which will be used as a multipurpose space, on Oct. 11.
“It’s so exciting to see what’s happening at St. James, where our staff here try to serve the whole person,” said the archbishop.
“We pray that the Lord will bless this facility,” he added, “that it will be a place where our young people enjoy it, where they take care of [their bodies and] they push themselves to excellence.”
The fieldhouse cost $5 million, and construction took about a year.
The general contractor was Straub Construction, and the architect was Incite Design. The engineers were Smith & Boucher; Schlagel & Associates; and Bob D. Campbell & Company.
The space is a tribute to Huppe, who coached basketball at St. James, Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park and St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park.
He was a parishioner at Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park for more than 35 years and spent 13 years at St. James.
“He had such an incredible impact on youth throughout our archdiocese for the last 35 years,” said Tylicki. “The impact that Mark Huppe had on people throughout this diocese cannot be forgotten.”
Steady growth
For Tylicki, the fieldhouse is a dream come true.
“I’ve been here since the very beginning,” he said, “and we’ve been talking about these types of things for years and years.
“And it’s been such a blessing to be able to find supporters, and they want to support St. James in the way that they do.”
Its oldest alumni are only in their 30s, so the school also relies on support from the wider community.
St. James is in the midst of a Mission Forward capital campaign for its football stadium, tennis courts, parking space and performing arts.
So far, it’s raised just over $10.7 million and has around $10 million more to go, said Tylicki.
The need for the updates reflects St. James’ commitment to its growing student population, which is now at 998. Some 600-700 of those students are involved in athletics at the school.
Herzet said the past four years since he’s been athletic director, St. James has averaged eight basketball teams — five boys teams and three girls teams.
“And trying to figure out a way for everybody to practice in one gym has been really hard,” he said.
Having just one main gym inside the school meant late night basketball and volleyball practices and back-to-back games going from early in the morning until late in the evening.
The fieldhouse has already shaved hours off sporting events, allowing students to get home earlier.
And with the additional space, St. James was able to bring its wrestling team back to campus after around eight years of practicing elsewhere.
“To be able to have them back on campus is huge for us,” said Herzet.
Long time coming
The fieldhouse has been in the works since Tylicki was approached by a friend of St. James around seven years ago about building an indoor athletic facility that included a baseball complex.
“He was willing to give us a very generous gift to get this process started,” said Tylicki.
“And then, he thought we could share with CYO and share with other people that were Catholic organizations that may want to use an indoor facility,” he added.
Herzet is thrilled with the addition to campus.
“To be able to have something like the St. James Fieldhouse on our campus now — for the betterment of our coaches and our athletes — it’s a true blessing,” he said.
Tylicki agreed.
“I believe wholeheartedly in my mind that the mission of our school is to pass on the Catholic faith,” he said, “and that never changes.
“This is just going to be another tool for us to be able to do that.”
