Turf Fields Runaway Favorite; Proponents Happy With The Investment

Courtesy of The Express-Time
Writen by George Wacker
November 14, 2005

In "Field of Dreams," Kevin Costner heeded the phrase, "If you build it, they will come."

Likewise some school districts in the Lehigh Valley are heeding a similar premise: If you build it, there will be more time to play.

On the eve of a possible decision by the Easton Area School Board on whether to install an artificial field at the high school that would cost about $600,000, officials of neighboring school districts with fake grass are championing not only the functionality of it, but the ease of financing it as well.

"If I could have five more of them I would," said Bob Rossi, Hunterdon Central Regional High School athletic director. "You can knock the heck out of it, don't have to worry about playing in bad weather and many different sports can use it."

Last summer, Hunterdon Central installed artificial turf at Singley Field for about $350,000 as part of a stadium renovation plan.

Rossi said district teams now have more time to practice than they did on natural grass.

"Lacrosse, soccer, field hockey, you name it. We don't have to put a lot of time into maintaining the field," he said. "Once one team is done, the other can go on it and it's the same product every time."

The new artificial turf is much different than AstroTurf®, which was popular in the 1970s and '80s and infamous at the old Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia where many football players suffered injuries as a result of the hard surface. The new synthetic turf is softer and has more flexibility, Rossi said.

Liberty High School Athletic Director Sam Senneca said the switch to synthetic allows more games to be played and more chances to play them.

"We don't have to worry so much about bad weather and we can schedule practices and games in succession," he said. "And it didn't cost the taxpayers."

The Bethlehem Area School District got a loan from Sovereign Bank to cover the cost of installing turf, and will pay back the loan using money from an endowment and advertising revenue.

Hunterdon Central's field is being financed by a community group and some work at the site was donated by contractors.

"It's a lot easier to explain this expense if it's not coming directly from the district's budget," Rossi said.

While the initial price of installing an artificial field, $350,000 to $600,000, may seem high, proponents say the field pays for itself in the long run.

"Firstly, it saves a lot of money in maintenance. With natural grass you have to keep it up almost on a daily basis," Rossi said.

With an artificial field "you can also rent it out for community events or tournaments," he added.

Senneca said the district grooms the field about once every two weeks, reducing the cost of maintenance.

"Before, we'd have guys out there every day," he said.

According to figures provided by Sportexe, an artificial turf company, the Easton Area School District would save about $40,000 over a 10-year span if it installed an artificial field.

Easton Area board member Roy Cortez suggested the district pay for the field through its fund balance, then repay the amount by raising money; much like Hunterdon Central.

The board will have a chance to vote on the issue during tonight's meeting.

"Artificial turf is the future," said Melissa Mertz, Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association assistant executive director. "It's easier to play on, easier to take care of and easier to hold tournaments on."

Mertz, who oversees the PIAA field hockey championships, said artificial turf makes the game faster and safer.

There are a few drawbacks, however.

The initial cost of installation is far beyond that of a natural field -- at least $200,000 -- and an artificial field would likely need to be replaced in 10 to 12 years, said Tom Schneider, a sales representative with Pittsburgh-based artificial field company Pro Grass.

"The cost is really up front," he said. "After that, maintenance is much cheaper than a natural field."

For those who have the fields, however, drawbacks are few and far between.

"Parents have to get used to going to games in the rain," Rossi said. "That's about it."