Story of Generosity, Partnered with Vision, and Led by God

A Plan for Growth

In 2022, it became evident to President Loberger that growth was imminent, and a clear vision of the future campus to absorb that growth was needed. This began meetings and designs of a complete campus vision plan. In February 2023, a plan was presented to the General Board, which included renovations to accommodate a new way of carrying out our high school ministry, as well as big dreams of one day adding turf fields for all sports, additional practice fields in the meadows (while maintaining the integrity of the trails and purpose of the space), an indoor practice sports facility, indoor turf practice space, and a link to connect the current facility to the new ones. Though extremely aggressive, the plan was approved, giving FVL a vision and direction for what the future could hold.

This vision started becoming a reality, in part, on March 28, 2023, when Dr. Monroe and Mrs. Sandra Trout hosted FVL President Jeff Loberger and then Director of Mission Advancement Jay Wendland at their home for one of their routine visits. Their discussion included typical school updates and reflections on the basketball season, but also touched on the new long-range campus plan. What seemed like a casual meeting became the seed of an extraordinary journey.

Generous Proposal

The very next day, Dr. and Mrs. Trout brought a proposal to President Loberger. They offered an extremely generous gift of $1 million to initiate plans for a facility supporting basketball and tennis, passions of their late son, Timothy. They envisioned a place where athletes could finish practices earlier, allowing students and coaches more family time. They pictured a facility that highlighted our Christian values, furthering FVL's mission. Since the very first meeting about this new Sports Center, Dr. and Mrs. Trout asked if this gift and facility would accomplish two purposes: (1) to allow students to get home earlier to be home with their families—a particularly important factor we had discussed many times over the years prior, and (2) to be an incentive for prospective students to come to FVL to have a Christian education. These goals drove all further discussions of the blessings this facility would bring to our entire FVL Family.

Planning & Prayers

What followed was a whirlwind of planning, discussions, and prayers. The Trouts' initial gift was processed to launch the project, and the school began consulting Sommerville with the architectural drawings needed to make this vision take shape. Meetings with the Board of Regents and other FVL committees ensured the project aligned with FVL’s mission and vision. Throughout this process, FVL’s leadership played a vital role in uniting stakeholders around a shared vision for the school’s future. Despite challenges, the Trouts’ unwavering faith and belief in the school’s ministry helped to guide discussions.

By late April 2023, the concept of the Timothy Trout Sports Center began to materialize. Preliminary (two dimensional) site plans to approve an overall layout of tennis courts and the building were shared with faculty, staff, coaches, committees, and the Board of Regents, along with Dr. and Mrs. Trout. Feedback emphasized the importance of serving FVL students and families effectively. The plans, originally sketched on a piece of graph paper, evolved through thoughtful input. The vision extended beyond just a physical building—it aimed to focus the FVL Family on the school’s Christian mission and core values.

Financial Hurdles

Throughout the summer, architectural drawings and funding strategies were developed; however, significant financial hurdles arose. Initial bids received in mid-December ranged from $6.5 million to $7.9 million, exceeding available resources.

On December 19, 2023, President Loberger, building plans in hand, had to share difficult news with Dr. and Mrs. Trout. The costs far-exceeded expectations; their gift would need to be returned. The school still carries a loan from the 2018 addition and wouldn’t be able to finance this new addition. After the news was broken and the room went silent, Dr. and Mrs. Trout asked about alternatives: a generous offer to pay off FVL’s existing Let the Children Come $3.5M debt and give the high school the ability to financially support the project, or scaling back the plans of the Sports Center. This alternative didn’t align with the long-term vision. After hours of discussion, the Trouts decided they needed time to think about the project and agreed to revisit the plan after Christmas.