Apr. 16, 2014:  Late next fall, The Bronxville School will face a temporary loss of Hayes Field beginning in December of 2014 when construction begins on a joint village-school flood mitigation project.

Currently a natural grass multi-use playing field, Hayes Field not only serves school sports teams and after-school sports programs, it also accommodates over 700 elementary school students who use it for their daily outdoor recess as well as youth club sports programs.

In the process of evaluating options for a new post-flood remediation of Hayes Field, the school board is examining the replacement of the field's natural grass with a synthetic turf surface. Arising in the discussion are considerations of aesthetics, safety, and environmental responsibility.

Bronxville School athletic director Karen Peterson points out that schools that are able to maintain natural grass fields typically have several fields, can rotate the use of those fields, and allow one field to rest for six months to a year in order to rejuvenate it. "Hayes Field doesn't have that opportunity," she said. "We over-seed it and aerate it a few times a year, but at the end of the fall and spring seasons it's not in great shape."

Bronxville Board of Education president David Brashear agreed that sustaining natural grass playing surfaces requires multiple fields requiring no more than three or four hours of play per week on the fields rather than the three or four hours a day required of Hayes Field.

"We want high participation," said PTA president Margaret Mager. "One of the hallmarks of the school is providing opportunities for anyone who wants to play on a sports team."

Erik Wilson, associate principal at KG&D Architects, the district architect, explained that, while a grass field needs a season for watering and growing, a turf field is playable immediately and continuously and lends itself to more effective scheduling and availability. "You have to avoid too much play on a grass field or you will wear it out," he said.

Peterson noted that the field hockey teams had to shorten this year's fall season by two weeks because of the toll continuous activity had taken on Hayes Field.

A turf surface, according to Wilson, can take the type of wear and tear demanded by sports like field hockey, with the ball in constant play on the ground. "It's a safer surface because it's consistent," he said. "There won't be puddles and mud and other issues you would have on a natural field that needs to be maintained and reworked."

"One part of the discussion must be our ability to maintain a safe field considering the usage it gets," Peterson said. "We don't want athletes turning ankles and knees. We don't want an uneven surface that can cause a ball to bounce up and cause injury to a player."

Wilson explained that, from a safety standpoint, the shock pad component of a turf installation cushions the playing surface and absorbs impact that can cause injuries and concussions. Bronxville resident Dr. George Unis added that, in his experience as a sports surgeon, the newer generations of turf surfaces tend to maintain resilience and continue to provide effective cushioning against the types of injuries athletes experienced on older turf fields. "Injuries are no worse than on natural grass," he said.

Brashear stated that health and environmental issues will be vital considerations for a multi-use field, no matter what the surface. "The good news is that New York State has its hand in everything," he said. While the New York State Education Department has no objections to turf surfaces, it does maintain a long list of chemicals banned for use by schools on grass areas, including athletic fields.

According to Brashear, although Hayes Field needs to be reconfigured and its surface replaced to increase playability on the school's fields, the board and district will not purposely jeopardize students' health and safety.

Pictured here:  Hayes Field at The Bronxville School.

Photo by A. Warner