The Grass Really is Greener

And level; and drains after huge rainstorms! I'm talking about the new, improved field at Gilbert High School. The AZ Republic had an article on it yesterday:

The turf in the school's stadium was replaced during the summer and should be one of the best in the East Valley, according to Gilbert district Athletic Director Mark Cisterna. That's a far cry from the turf's condition the past couple of years, Cisterna said. "It was due, probably overdue," Cisterna said. "It's gone through a lot of wear and tear over the years. It was unresponsive and needed to be done." The old turf had been in place since the stadium opened in 1987. Tempe-based West Coast Turf was brought in for consultation and the school chose Tifway 419, the sod Arizona State uses at Sun Devil Stadium. The project, which included laser leveling the field after old sod was removed about six weeks ago, cost about $30,000. The result is a dark green field that catches the eye, but more importantly doesn't catch a cleat, Cisterna said. "It will put the athletes in a safer environment and cut down on injuries," he said. "We leveled the whole playing surface, and it should give them better footing." Cisterna found that the field was ready for a beating, at least the kind Mother Nature provides. Last Wednesday, the day after a large monsoon storms hit the area, Cisterna came to the field not knowing what to expect. All of the low-lying areas around the school were filled with rainwater but the playing surface withstood the downpour. "I walked down the center of the field and it was wet, but last year it would have been a lake," he said. "We couldn't budget for a new drainage system so West Coast suggested 3 inches of sand. It provides a good base and soaks up a lot of the rain instead of it just sitting on top."

Proud Mom Alert: Our son will be playing on that field this year - his senior year! I went to him for a quote about the new turf, and he said he hadn't even seen it yet. But the practice field has also been improved, and it's been better than in past years. Anyway, I just wanted to share one picture, taken at football camp a week ago in Springerville:



I know it looks staged that he would be the only one wearing blue shorts, but, honest, that's just the way it happened. The Mister did, of course, try to get the shot of him carrying the ball.

You might remember from prior posts that the Mister is our technology guy, and I am the sports fan in our household. And football is my favorite of them all. Let the season begin!