AA County getting new school turf

Anne Arundel County (Map, News) - The days of Anne Arundel County public high school football, soccer and lacrosse games being postponed because of rain are nearing an end.

That's because within four years, county officials plan to install a state-of-the-art, artificial turf field inside the football stadium at each of the county’s 12 public high schools, making the county the first in the state to accomplish the feat.

“You can use it a lot quicker after a rain because it drains far better, and you don't have issues with full games being rained out,” said Bob Mosier, school system spokesman. “If it rains Tuesday, you can still play Wednesday without huge splotches of mud making it impossible to play.”

The installation of the FieldTurf fields, costing $800,00 each, is slated to begin next summer. The county will install fields at three schools every summer until the approximately $8.8 million project is complete in 2011, said Frank Marzucco, director of the Department of Recreation and Parks.

Because Broadneck High School already has an artificial field, the department will give the school a grant to pay off its loan, he said. Grants for future years will be decided by the county council, he said.

But the durability of Broadneck’s field has already proved an asset to the community.

Last year, Severna Park High School was scheduled to host the Tournament of Bands, a marching band competition. Though it rained heavily the day of the competition, organizers did not have to cancel the event; they moved it to nearby Broadneck’s turf field, which presented a safe venue, said Broadneck Principal Cindy Hudson.

“It's tremendous,” Hudson said. “It's building much stronger bonds between the school and the community.”

Marzucco said because the project is funded by county bonds and Program Open Space state funds, the county’s Department of Recreation and Parks will be allowed to use the field for public activities.

Though the field schedules are not finalized, the tentative plan calls for the Department of Recreation and Parks to have priority two night a week and after 10 a.m. Saturday and all day Sunday year-round, Marzucco said.

“Right now, on average, a high school stadium field is used 50 days a year,” Marzucco said. “For the most part, athletic directors are protective of their showcase athletic fields. Up until now, the community has had very little use of varsity stadium fields.”

Because of its durability and sophisticated drainage, the artificial fields can be used year-long, Marzucco said.

Chip Synder, the athletic director at Chesapeake High in Pasadena, said the project’s best part is allowing children to realize their dreams of playing in a varsity stadium, he said.

“This allows all teams — not only at school — to play in a stadium, which all kids love to do,” Synder said. “A stadium is ultimately where all kids like to play varsity games.”

What are the advantages of playing on FieldTurf? Respond below in our comment section.

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