Wayland Union Schools next year will convert the current grass football field at the high school stadium to artificial turf. The request for bids will go out in January or February.
There are many reasons to make the transition to artificial turf, including increased use by students and community, decreased cost of maintaining the grass field and providing practice space, not affected by heavy rains, for football, band, and other sports.
The turf will also be marked for soccer because heavy spring rains can cause disruption of use on the designated soccer field.
One issue with the current grass field is that it has a crown that is nearly three feet higher in the middle that allows for drainage. In addition, there is limited use of the field due to its condition and football teams resort to practicing on another field.
Additional work at the stadium will include replacing the poles and current lighting to safer poles and more efficient lighting sources as well as resurfacing the 10-year-old track surface.
The estimated cost of the project is $1.5 million and will be paid for using the PA 177 Fund and the Public Improvement Fund established with funding from the Gun Lake Casino revenue.
What next? I know a millage request for windows, roofing, heating or security. When will they learn to live like the rest of have to? Do I need a new roof or a furnace? No, let’s spend the money on mud puddles.
Artificial turf will allow more a lot more activities oh the field. In addition to one or two 78’er teams, freshman/JV teams and varsity football in the fall the field will be used for marching band practice and soccer. All with minimum upkeep after installation. No lawn mowing, watering, re-seeding or labor costs associated with natural turf. New LED field lighting will require significantly less maintenance over 10 years and use about 50% less energy. Neither labor for or electricity rates are likely to go down in that time.
The only additional expense might be re-lining the field if football participation numbers continue to drop and Wayland HS goes from 11 man to 8 man football.
It’s sad that the school waits until after the one man who fought so hard for years for this to happen is fired. Coach Doupe fought tirelessly for this to happen and it’s a shame that he won’t be able to coach the first team to take the field on the new surface. Hopefully Wayland Union will one day wake up and realize that the football program’s struggles are not a coach issue, but a school and community issue. It’s not about the x’s and the o’s, it’s about the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s.