(BEREA, Kentucky) - At some point, every team goes through a rebuilding year. It’s rare, though, to see a team have to rebuild an entire program.
Madison Southern High School in Berea, Kentucky is starting at square one and the poster for Friday night’s scrimmage and dedication ceremony says it all.
“New coach. New field. New helmet. New uniforms. New attitude. New beginning.”
“This program looked just like our field did before,” said new head coach Jon Clark. “It was tattered and torn.”
At the end of last season, the football team had 25 kids. In four seasons, the team had won 3 games. The school board decided to make a number of improvements, including hiring a new coach. The team now has around 80 players.
“We’ve changed it from the ground up,” said Clark.
The change at the ground level came with the addition of the recently completed AstroTurf® field.
“This has been a great project,” said AstroTurf President Bryan Peeples. “It’s always exciting to watch the transformation of a new AstroTurf field and it’s exciting to watch the transformation in this program and the newfound pride that goes along with it.”
Principal David Gilliam said the school chose AstroTurf because of aesthetic appeal, ease of maintenance, and increased field availability. Gilliam said the addition of the AstroTurf has gone beyond their original goals.
“This is the whole package,” he said. “The whole town is buzzing. People have been driving by to watch and to stop and take pictures. Everywhere I go people ask me about the AstroTurf.”
“This is a town of 14,000 people,” said Clark. “So, it’s a big deal.”
Gilliam says the students are excited, the players are excited, and the band is as excited as anyone. They will now be able to practice on the field and host competitions. It’s a win-win for everyone.
The new winning attitude began earlier this year. Clark arrived in February and brought an all new coaching staff. He started with about 30 kids and implemented a 6:30 a.m. workout program. Clark has also implemented a program emphasizing character development and leadership. He has started a study hall and players know that if they don’t make the grades they don’t practice or play.
Students have responded to Clark’s leadership and the team wound up with so many players that the school had to buy new equipment.
Under Armour sponsored the team’s new uniforms and they got new helmets, as well. Through dedicated boosters, they have raised money to help improve the facilities, with the most visible symbol of the changes taking place being the new AstroTurf field.
AstroTurf is no stranger to making big changes.
The company invented the synthetic turf industry in 1965 and installed the first field in the Houston Astrodome in 1966. The company continues to change the synthetic turf industry and the world of sports by developing the most technologically advanced playing surfaces in the world. AstroTurf offers fields that play more like natural grass than any other surface and are safe for athletes.
AstroTurf has invested millions of dollars into research programs to create safer and better performing fields. They funded the Center for Athletic Field Safety at the University of Tennessee, which opened in July.
Recent installations of AstroTurf surfaces include practice fields at the University of Tennessee, Auburn University, and the University of Georgia. Kansas State University will play its football games on AstroTurf this fall.
AstroTurf is the Official Synthetic Turf of Major League Baseball and is in use by the Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays. Collegiately, recent AstroTurf installations for baseball include Ohio State University, Duke University, Wake Forest University, the University of Kansas, and Kansas State University.
Madison Southern is among the newest AstroTurf installations and hopes to establish a tradition of excellence on the new field. The past is in the rearview mirror.
“It’s a new start,” said Clark. We’re 0-0 on this field.”
The new playing field will see its first action on Friday night as the Eagles participate in a preseason scrimmage. The field will be dedicated in a celebration that will involve thousands of people and will include the U.S. Army parachuting the game ball in the stadium from 10,000 feet.
The first regular season game will be at home versus Bourbon County on August 26th.
About AstroTurf®
For many athletes and sport enthusiasts, the AstroTurf® brand has redefined the way the game is played. The company offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging the industry’s first vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf®-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority and safety. Recent innovations from AstroTurf® include GameDay Grass™ 3D with RootZone®, a polyethylene/nylon hybrid system which most closely replicates natural grass; a non-chemical antimicrobial shield protecting against MRSA and other infectious bacteria; and AstroFlect™ Technology which significantly reduces turf surface temperatures. To learn more, visit www.astroturfusa.com.
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