On Saturday, April 27, Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) hosted Parker’s Spring Athletics Showcase for the first time in three years. “Four out of our five spring sports were able to compete,” said Athletic Director Bobby Starks. The four games consisted of Girls Soccer, Boys Baseball, Girls Softball, and Boys Tennis.
Starks said, “The spring showcase is our homecoming style event for the spring athletes.” The Spring Showcase is an event to show support for the Spring athletes. “Winter has white out/blue out but in years past we haven’t had a consistent spring event because of our field situation.”
The Spring Athletics Showcase has existed for many years, however it hasn’t been a consistent event. The last time Parker had a Spring Showcase was in 2022 at North Avenue Fields.
Starks emphasized the convenience of having the Spring Showcase at IIT. He said, “The plan is to have as many of our teams play in one location.” This allows spectators to watch multiple Parker sports games back to back, without having to travel to a different location.
Elle Greenstein, a sophomore on Girls varsity Soccer said, “I like the idea of Spring Showcase. It promotes spring athletics because I feel like spring athletics don’t get as much support as fall and winter.”
Students, friends, and family came to watch this year’s Spring Showcase. At the IIT fields, “the support at the games was really good,” said Greenstein. Starks said that this year’s Spring Showcase was the most attended compared to past years. He said, “It was very successful. We even had food trucks!”
Greenstein said that the Spring Showcase “should be yearly” as she really enjoyed it this year. Starks hopes the Spring Showcase will become an annual event that gives spring athletes a chance to show their hard work and dedication to their sport.
