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“We decided that an artificial surface would greatly enhance the usability and versatility of our fields and better meet the needs of our students and various user groups,” Springfield City Athletic Director Mike Dellapina said. “That decision has proved to be positive for Springfield City Schools and the surrounding community.”
The turf installed at Evans Stadium and the high school will serve several teams this fall. Both the boys and girls soccer teams and the district’s middle and high school football teams. Officials said when deciding to install the new turf that it was necessary.
“It’s a responsible expenditure,” Springfield Superintendent Bob Hill said. “It’s a cost but I think it’s a cost that ends up being a savings in the long run in terms of the upkeep of the field.”
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A grass playing surface is about three times more costly to maintain, Hill said, and the synthetic turf also provides a consistent, uniform playing surface that’s safer.
The Springfield Wildcats football team has started the season off 3-0. They’ve played two games on the new turf and the playing surface is a big upgrade, Dellapina said.
“The field represents a source of community pride and demonstrates a strong level of commitment from our board of education and administration toward offering the very best to our families and community,” Dellapina said.
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The new field turf can open more opportunities for the district and the city down the line, district spokeswoman Cherie Moore said. She said while, hopefully, the Wildcats will be playing deep into the playoffs this year, with the new turf the school might be able to host neutral site playoff games, too.
“There is hope that with Evans Stadium being centrally located — just off the interstate — that the facility will become home to Dayton and Columbus region playoff games,” she said.
Springfield was one of the last schools in its conference to have field turf at the football stadium, Moore said, and the improvement offers student athletes the best.
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“The turf provides our student athletes with a more versatile and safe platform for competition,” she said. “There is a sense of excitement for the new facility that makes for a fun Friday night of competition at Evans Stadium.”
The new playing surface will also help the stadium benefit more Springfield students, Dellapina said.
“All programs that utilize the stadiums will benefit from the new surface and our stadium complexes will be able to serve more groups,” he said.
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By the numbers:
$1 million: The cost of the new field turf at Evans Stadium and Springfield High School
2: Varsity football games played at Evans Stadium so far this fall.
1935: Year Evans Stadium was built
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