Am I dreaming or was it Dixie thats home field was an absolute swamp every year?

 

It was horrible, them and Simon Kenton used to be probably the 2 worst in NKY with Dixie taking the crown. Now, Simon Kenton's grass has improved by leaps and bounds and Dixie has one of the nicest fields in NKY because of their turf.

How does big Mr. Bird handle the bad field conditions?

 

He is more of a strong/elusive player than a speedster, so it doesn't hurt him as much as others. His worst rainy game was @ Owen Co. All others he was in the 150-250 yds/game area.

I like the turf. Let the kids' talent, commitment and coaching decide the outcomes of the games, not the condition of the field. Turf eliminates the bickering back and forth as to whether the home field coaches manipulated the playing condition of the field to improve their chances of winning (of course that cuts down on the number of posts by Highlands and Bell County fans:ylsuper:)

...lest we forget the conditions of the home of the "hump-backs" in 1975!!!!!!!

Grass is the best, turf takes away from the game.

How much does it cost to lay a football size "Field Turf" field for a school interested in improving from grass to turf? This could be a major factor in whether you prefer grass or fieldturf.

:confused:

How much does it cost to lay a football size "Field Turf" field for a school interested in improving from grass to turf? This could be a major factor in whether you prefer grass or fieldturf.

:confused:

 

I found this cost analysis from Field Turf...

 

http://www.fieldturf.com/superbowl/downloads/10%20Year%20Cost%20Analysis.pdf

The maintenance costs are what kills natural grass. Anybody who's ever been to a high school that makes its soccer and football programs knows how that turns out, especially if the field hasn't been properly maintained the summer beforehad.

 

And you know who really hates the new turf? Anybody who loses to the Pirates at Belfry ... they can't blame the Pond Creek VFD for drowning the field beforehad so they have to face up to the fact that they went to Belfry and got their butts whipped on merit.

Sun, that is an awesome article. thanks so much! Last question, How long does it take a High School Booster Club to raise adequate enough funds to help start the project?

Sun, that is an awesome article. thanks so much! Last question, How long does it take a High School Booster Club to raise adequate enough funds to help start the project?

 

It depends on your community's commitment to the project whether it be through donations or financing. Here is an article concerning Coal Grove, OH's field. They are across the Ohio River from Ashland.

 

http://www.fieldturf.com/news.cfm?newsID=1482

 

Coal Grove football field gets makeover

 

Jun 7, 2007

The Herald-Dispatch

by Travis Hubbard

 

COAL GROVE, Ohio -- The Coal Grove Hornets are the third Lawrence County football team in three years to install synthetic grass as their permanent playing surface.

 

"It gives our kids a higher self-esteem. They're already as excited as can be," said Coal Grove atheltic director Bryan Mulkey. "We've had a nice couple years, and I hope this just adds to that.

 

"I think it's one of the best things to happen to the Coal Grove district."

 

Rock Hill was the first Lawrence County high school to install artificial grass at its new stadium two years ago, and South Point's new football stadium was completed and will open this fall with FieldTurf. Coal Grove completed the installation of FieldTurf at Patterson Field earlier this month at a cost of about $700,000, according to Dawson-Bryant Schools superintendent James Payne.

 

"We did our homework and chose the turf that was right for our situation and one that would fit our finances," Payne said.

 

Payne said he and school board members visited no less than six other facilities -- Oak Hill, Jackson, Coonskin Park in West Virginia, Marshall (University), Kings High School near Cincinnati -- as well as the facilities at Rock Hill and South Point.

 

"We've known about the product for about two or three years, but we weren't able to do anything about it until serious donations came in," Payne said.

 

Artificial turf is a growing trend. With the cost declining from more than $1 million as recently as five years ago when Ripley High School began its campaign for artificial turf, more schools are opting for the cost effectiveness of synthetic grass. Payne said FieldTurf had about 500 installations nationwide scheduled for this summer.

 

Payne did not have exact numbers, but he said the reduction in man hours and maintenance costs is dramatic. Fake grass doesn't need mowed or watered, seeds and fertilizer do not need bought or sowed and end lines don't need painted. Plus, the field can be played on during wet or dry conditions without worry of damage.

 

"Not only is it cost-effective, but they've done studies that say it's safer than natural grass and certainly safer than the old carpet they used to use," said Payne, who himself had two knee surgeries he attributed to playing football on AstroTurf.

 

FieldTurf is the same surface used at Marshall's Joan C. Edwards Stadium. It has woven artificial grass that more closely resembles real-life grass instead of the carpet-like texture of AstroTurf. Plus, FieldTurf has a rubberized base while AstroTurf essentially laid on concrete.

 

FieldTurf must be groomed occasionally, and the groomer was provided in the purchase, but the costs of maintenance are significantly less.

 

"It's going to allow our maintenance staff to work in other capacities," Payne said.

 

The turf comes with an 8-year warranty, but Payne believes Coal Grove will get at least 15 or 20 years of use out of its new turf because of limited use it will get. Coal Grove doesn't have soccer teams and it won't be used for baseball or softball.

 

But it will get plenty of use, just not high-impact use other than football. The field will be used by football teams of all ages in the district, band, discus throw for track and field, cheerleading, physical education classes for the junior high and high schools and for baseball and softball practices when their fields get too wet.

 

FieldTurf drains water much more productively than natural surfaces.

 

That was a key motivating factor for Coal Grove because land is limited in the school district. So, when it rained teams could not practice on the football field and competed for time. Now, there's no worries about damaging the field.

 

But it required a major financial commitment from the community. The school board did not ask for additional tax dollars. Instead, the community made donations and staff made payroll deduction contributions to the project.

 

"It's a big commitment from the community and the administration," Coal Grove football coach Dave Lucas said. "It's becoming more and more popular because it's becoming more and more economical, but it still requires that initial commitment by the community."

 

With the costs of artificial grass declining and the costs of long-term natural grass maintenance increasing, will we see the day that every school has FieldTurf?

 

"I think it's a personal choice," Payne said. "It was right for us because of the limited land space. But any school that considers it would have to have the same support from their community and donations to offset the cost."

 

Turf

The game was designed on a grass field. The game is meant to be played on grass...

^ Agreed. I always hated playing on turf, I just love a nice grass field.

Without a doubt playing on field turf is much better than natural grass.