Turf field to be constructed this summer

A new synthetic grass fiber field will be installed this summer across from Cousens Gymnasium on the Alumni Fields and should be ready for play by September.

The installation of the $1.8 million turf field was made possible by the million dollar donation of John Bello (A'68), the original founder of the SoBe drink company, and his wife Nancy (J'69). An additional $500,000 was raised by an anonymous donation from a parent, and the remainder of the funds will come from the Athletic Board of Overseers.

The new field will incorporate state-of-the-art technology that will combine synthetic grass fibers on top of a mixture of sand and rubber, while maintaining the feel of a natural grass field. The key advantage is that the new field will require far less maintenance.

"It is very difficult to maintain the quality of our grass fields because of overuse," Director of Athletics Bill Gehling said. "This will greatly help that problem."

The new synthetic field will be superior to older Astroturf fields, which are used at several other NESCAC schools.

"Astroturf is very playable for field hockey but we feel that the surface we are building will be a major upgrade for field hockey and all of the other field sports that will use it," Gehling said.

The field hockey and lacrosse teams will be the primary users of the new field. Players say they are eagerly anticipating the field upgrade.

"We've all been rooting for it for a very long time... everyone's ready for it," freshman field hockey player Traci Rittenour said.

The new field will not be used exclusively by varsity sports teams. Intramural teams club sports and community organizations will also have the opportunity to play and hold events there.

"A major problem we face in trying to increase our intramural offerings for the general student body is lack of field space," Gehling said. "This field will help that problem."

The new turf will better train the Jumbos to "play better teams more competitively" Rittenour said. Turf fields allow for quicker passes and a faster-paced game. "It speeds the game up. It's ten times faster than playing on grass," Rittenour said.

Junior field hockey and lacrosse player Willow Hagge pointed to the field hockey team's two losses against Bowdoin as evidence that practicing on the new field could help her teams' performance. At home Tufts lost 1-2, and playing on turf at Bowdoin, Tufts lost 6-0.

"It wasn't that we were playing any better or worse," Hagge said, "we weren't used to playing on turf."

In addition to improved surface conditions, an extra field will mean the availability of extra practice slots.

The turf field will also be playable in conditions the old fields were not, which Hagge said will enable the lacrosse team to hold fewer practices inside.

"Playing in a smaller space [indoors] is not the same space as the field," Hagge said. "As soon as the temperature gets in the 30s they can plow the field and we can get playing outside."

Bello has been an active member of the alumni association, serving on the Athletic Board of Overseers for the past fifteen years. He also gave the inaugural talk of the Lyon & Bendheim Alumni Lecture Series in October.

"Nancy and I feel very good about doing this," Bello said, "and it's not the last thing we'll do, either."