Frankenmuth

WHY DID THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CHOOSE TO GO TO TURF? There are a couple of reasons: our football and soccer fields weren't up to competition size. We had lots of lips and less safe areas of patchy grass. Turf allows safer practice conditions. Overplaying causes wear and tear on fields so they get beat up. Turf allows for more playable experiences. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– WHY THE FIELDTURF PRODUCT? We researched and toured fields at Atwood Stadium, Ford Field, and Alma. We liked the feel of FieldTurf. The fibers handle wear, tear, and sun. We also liked the research the company did on the safety of their product. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TURF FOR BOTH THE FOOTBALL AND SOCCER FIELDS? If we went with one field for all sports at the high school, the track would have to be redone too. The visitor bleachers, track/ field event area and storage shed would also have to be reconfigured. It actually was more cost effective to make two separate sports fields. We may look at soccer field lights down the road. TELL US MORE ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TURF USED AT THE SOCCER AND FOOTBALL FIELDS. At soccer, the fiber type allows the ball to roll more naturally. The football field fibers allow for more pounding, and can handle more traffic in concentrated areas such as on the line of scrimmage. Both fields have the same fiber height and infill. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– TELL US ABOUT THE INSTALLATION PROCESS. The base consists of sand, limestone aggregate, and crushed limestone that hardens. Layers of sand, rubber sand mix, and rubber make up the 9 lbs per square foot of infill. By Julie Felten, AT, ATC Frankenmuth School District Certified Athletic Trainer FieldTurf Comes To Frankenmuth If you have spent any time this summer passing the Frankenmuth School District campus, you could not help but notice the trucks, cranes and excavators. It's been great to have noise and excitement around the athletics facilities after the quiet spring. FieldTurf has come to Frankenmuth! I recently caught up with athletic director Kevin Schwedler and Frankenmuth High assistant principal, business manager and project manager Phil Martin to share the process with the community. If you would like to learn more about FieldTurf, visit their website at www.fieldturf.com or contact the Frankenmuth School District. 14

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