The second turf field in Chesterfield County Public Schools officially opened Sept. 15. Before the Monacan High Chiefs hosted the Cosby High Titans in week 4 of football season, a ribbon-cutting took place on the 50-yard line of Monacan’s new Sprinturf Ultrablade field.
Among the student groups who will benefit from Monacan High’s turf field are the football team, marching band, color guard, dance team, cheerleaders, field hockey teams, lacrosse teams, track and field teams, soccer teams and health and PE classes. 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 Monacan High and Bird High (where an August ribbon-cutting took place). 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 Monacan and Bird 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.