By Miguel Morales miguel@theacorn.com Simi Valley school board's recent vote to build two new softball fields at Royal High School could have the Highlander girls' softball team playing their first real home game by next season. The decision was made at the March 13 board meeting to allocate $15,000 for an architect to design the proposed fields. This is the first step in the process, said Phil McPherson, president and co-founder of the Amanda McPherson Foundation, whose goal it is to raise $150,000 toward the new fields. McPherson proposed the estimated $300,000 project to the school board Feb. 27. Noting the foundation's success in raising money for the recently completed Big Sky Park, McPherson said he is confident they will be able to repeat that accomplishment at Royal. "I think it's a great idea," McPherson said. "At the end of the day, it's the right thing for us, so we're going to help out doing it." Royal currently has no softball fields, so the girls' softball team must either drive or walk to practice at Rancho Simi Community Park. It's been a longtime goal to get the fields built, said Bill Dishon, Royal's head softball coach and program coordinator for the past seven years. "It's imperative that we get this done," Dishon said. "It's inconceivable that we haven't had it (up) to this point."