Kendall Coyne Schofield and Michael Schofield put their stamp on a new park near where gold medalist grew up in Palos Heights

When Kendall Coyne Schofield was a youngster growing up in Palos Heights, her love for being active and playing sports started largely in area parks. So when the Olympic gold medalist visited a new park in her hometown last month, she just couldn’t help herself.

“I was running up and down the equipment like I was a kid again,” Coyne Schofield said with a laugh.

Coyne Schofield was not just out to reminisce at an area park. She and her husband, new Bears offensive lineman Michael Schofield, of Orland Park, were putting their hands into the cement to put their mark on Palos Heights’ newest playground. The Kendall Coyne Dream Big Park in the Misty Meadows subdivision is just east of the Palos South Middle School baseball field, near the city’s water tower.

“I hope any kid that walks into that park and has a dream knows that they can accomplish it, just like I did, just like Michael did,” Coyne Schofield said. “That’s how our journey started, right here at home, running around and playing as kids in a park, and it led us to where we are today.”

Coyne Schofield said Palos Heights officials approached them roughly a year ago about a park near her childhood home. She and Schofield decided to support the park as individuals, as well as under the banner of the Schofield Family Foundation, which is donating “a pretty huge bench with a canopy,” Schofield said.

“We couldn’t say ‘yes’ fast enough,” Coyne Schofield added. “It’s super, super exciting.”

Coyne Schofield said if there is one thing that stands out to her about the project, it is that “inclusion” was a key part of it. The park is Americans with Disabilities Act accessible, features sensory equipment, and has designs reflective of “anyone and everyone who wants to play,” she said.

“Hopefully it’s as inclusive as possible,” she said. “Any family, any kid who walks into the park sees that this park is for them.”

That vibe carries over into the sports theme of the park. Coyne Schofield grew up seeing hockey played at the nearby park, but the players were always boys. At this park, the hockey player pictured is a girl. And while the duo is known for hockey and football, other sports are represented, including a Paralympian on one apparatus.

“As many sports as we could reflect in the park, we tried,” Coyne Schofield said.

In addition to the bench, the Schofield Family Foundation donated a sign for the park. The couple also donated a portion of the cost of the park. Their biographies will be featured in the space.

“We put our handprints in the concrete, which is kind of cool, so kids can compare their hands to ours,” Schofield said.

The couple said it was fun to see the project nearly complete.

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“It gave me chills a little bit to know we were part of this,” Schofield said. “We talked about hockey sticks being somewhere in there, all these footballs, all this cool stuff in there. To see it now come to life and see it in person, how awesome it looks, was really exciting.”

Matt Fairbanks, director of Parks and Recreation for Palos Heights, said the park was slated to be completed by the end of July, but delivery of a couple of bigger pieces of equipment has been delayed by supply issues until the fall. A ribbon cutting is tentatively slated for September, and the local athletic power couple said they plan to be there.

“I will be forever touched that there’s this park named after me, and it was an honor to be a part of the project,” Coyne Schofield said. “This is something that will provide opportunities for kids years to come. Even when Michael and I are not in this world anymore, this park will be. To know that kids can always come to this park and have an opportunity to play, be active, be creative and hopefully dream when they walk into the Dream Big park — no pun intended — it’s a dream come true for both of us.”

The Schofield Family Foundation was started by the couple in 2019 with the aim of “being able to give back and provide opportunities for kids to get out and play and hopefully enrich their dream in any way, shape or form,” Coyne Schofield said. In May, the foundation gave a scholarship to Brendan Joy, a Sandburg graduate who will be playing golf at North Central College. And they have supported local organizations in a variety of ways. But Schofield said it is hard to top a park.

“This is definitely one of the things we’re most excited about with our foundation,” he said. “It’s a lasting impact that’s going to be around hopefully forever. This is probably the biggest thing we’ve done with our foundation.”

“To date,” Coyne Schofield added, “Hopefully more to come.”

Bill Jones is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.