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New Trier News

The student news site of New Trier High School

New Trier News

The student news site of New Trier High School

New Trier News

New turf field to be ready for football season opener

The installation of a synthetic turf surface at Robert Naughton Field and two intramural playfields at New Trier High School’s Northfield Campus is proceeding as planned, according to school officials.

Dave Conway, Physical Plant Services Manager, is overseeing the project. Physical Plant Services (PPS) has been managing the project, helping with drawings and bids, and working with the construction manager, said Conway.

Randy Oberembt, Athletic Director, said plans for the synthetic turf project date back to 2007 when a committee began looking into adding a synthetic turf at one of New Trier’s fields. “The Board of Education ultimately chose the Northfield campus because the Naughton Field and intramural playfields are lighted facilities,” said Oberembt.

The synthetic turf has a clay subsurface, which acts as a moisture barrier, said Oberembt. Underneath the subsurface is a mixture of sand and rubber.

The school believes that the synthetic turf will increase opportunities to utilize spaceThe turf will be used all day long between Kinetic Wellness classes from 8:20 – 3:05, the intermural program, and interscholastic athletics,” said Oberembt.

During the fall of 2011, the stadium was only used an average of 2.5 days per week. “Because the synthetic turf is able to absorb large amounts of water and dry out much faster than grass, if there is a heavy rain during the day and it stops in the late afternoon, an evening game will be able to go on without a problem,” said Oberembt.

Another advantage is that snow melts faster on turf than grass. If there is a 60 degree day in February, snow would still cover the grass and the ground would be frozen. With synthetic turf,the snow will be melted and the ground will not be frozen, which will allow Kinetic Wellness classes to use the turf. The Kinetic Wellness curriculum is made for outdoor facilities, so the turf will make it easier to follow the curriculum, said Oberembt.  

According to Oberembt, from the last girls soccer game in May until the first boys soccer scrimmage in August, no one was able to use the Robert Naughton Field because the grass needed to repair itself and grow from the previous season.

While the school will increase the use of the fields, the synthetic turf will also be easier and less expensive to maintain. The turf will need to be cleaned to remove any trash, and then either semi-annually or quarterly the turf will be fluffed so it remains soft and the rubber will be readjusted using a GroomAll turf maintenance system, said Conway.

Although New Trier has one of the largest athletic programs in the state, they were not in the forefront regarding synthetic turfs, said Oberembt. Of the schools in the Central Suburban League, Maine South, Highland Park, Deerfield, Niles West, Niles North, and Evanston all currently have synthetic turf fields.

The New Trier Booster Club pledged $1 million towards the turf and the Board of Education agreed to fund the rest of the project, said Oberembt.

The project is going well, according to Conway, who said the only problem so far was water that built up and saturated the clay after the top soil was removed. Crews solved the problem by digging trenches to channel the water.

Weather has not had a big impact on the project and only two days of work have been lost due to rain. Crews are slightly ahead of schedule, said Conway, and the project is expected to be completed by August 31, for the first home football game of the season.

Unlike old synthetic turfs that were criticized for causing increased injury to players, newer versions of synthetic turf are as safe as pristine grass and have little or no difference on injuries, said Oberembt.

Given the utility that the surface provides, New Trier can serve many more students, camps, clinics, and the community, said Oberembt.


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