The first turf field in Chesterfield County Public Schools officially opened Aug. 24. Before the Bird High Skyhawks hosted the Rapids of James River High to kick off football season, a ribbon-cutting took place on the 50-yard line of Bird High’s new Sprinturf Ultrablade field.
Among the student groups who will benefit from Bird High’s turf field are the football team, marching band, cheerleaders, field hockey team, lacrosse team, soccer team and track and field team. Synthetic turf allows the field to be used year-round, by eliminating downtime for grass growth and reducing rain delays. In addition to renewing the multipurpose field, this project improves accessibility, event areas and drainage.
Sprinturf Ultrablade fields have been installed at Bird High and at Monacan High (where a September ribbon-cutting is planned). The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors covered the $2 million cost for each site, and the county Parks and Recreation Department managed the projects in coordination with Chesterfield County Public Schools.
The Bird and Monacan fields are intended to serve school and county activities for eight to 10 years. In the future, other high school fields will be evaluated for synthetic turf.