DELMAR – The grass is forever greener at Bethlehem Central High School with the completion of a synthetic turf field behind the high school. The $5.25 million project began in April after being approved by voters as part of the $40.7 million 2021 Facilities Improvement Project.
On Tuesday, Sept. 5, the turf field saw its first game with the varsity boys soccer team taking on Ballston Spa High School and winning 6-0, even though renovations are not fully complete.
“We want to provide our coaching staff and our athletes with the assets the competition has, and although we’ve been strong in many sports for many years, this will continue to elevate our program,” Bethlehem Athletic Director Leonard Kies said.
In August 2021, the school’s Board of Education voted overwhelmingly in favor of the artificial turf field, and in spring of this year, construction crews broke ground to set up the foundation for the field and install the new playing surface. A similar proposal for a turf football field, $3.5 million at the time, was voted down in 2013.
According to District Spokeswoman JoEllen Gardner, the community response to the field has been very positive.
“Most of the feedback that we’re seeing from here are from athletic teams, who are starting to use the facility for their practices, and they are thrilled,” she said.
Apart from the turf itself, several other improvements are in the works for the new field, including bleachers seating up to 1,000 people, a scoreboard, a press box, new lights and a concession building with restrooms. The scoreboard is expected to be completed by early October, and the bleachers are expected by early to mid-October. The entire project, including lighting, brickwork and the concession building, is expected to be done before Thanksgiving, according to Kies.
“We expect it to be the absolute finest facility for [lacrosse, field hockey, and soccer] in the area,” Kies said, adding that he hopes that these capital improvements will bring greater visibility to the school and local community, and potentially make Bethlehem a candidate for hosting sectional, regional, or even state championships.
The turf field will be primarily used by the boys and girls soccer and lacrosse teams, as well as the girls field hockey team. The field is also intended for use by physical education teachers during the school day. Other sports teams, such as the football team, can also use the field to practice. However, the primary teams, which Kies said needed the dry playing surface more, will take precedence.
Other upgrades
Other capital improvements have been made to Bethlehem’s athletic facilities. The track and tennis courts have been resurfaced and restriped, and the softball field is currently undergoing construction to add permanent fences, foul poles, and new dugouts. Renovations have also been made to one of the school’s three gyms (Gym A) by replacing the wall pads, basketball backboards and hoops.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for the full completion of the field, although no date has been set. Officials hope that the ribbon-cutting will coincide with the school’s homecoming events.
Leveling the playing field
While the similar proposal from 2013 was voted down at the time, the popularity of turf fields in the area has grown in recent years. Shaker, Guilderland, Niskayuna, Shenendahowah, Troy and Albany high schools, among others in upstate New York, have installed synthetic turf fields. Such fields have improved drainage over grass fields, extending playing seasons.
Due to heavy rains, the grass fields at Bethlehem are often swamped, sometimes rendering them unusable.
“It was very disruptive not only to the athletics schedule but also to the instructional schedule,” Gardner said. According to Kies, such drainage issues have caused many cancellations, and forced teams to move to modified fields for sectional playoffs and other important games.
In 2019, the Bethlehem girls’ lacrosse team lost a regular season championship. The team had the best overall record in the league at the time, and was preparing for their final game of the season before playoff spots would be determined. However, the grass fields and the football field at Bethlehem were all too wet to play on. The school asked Columbia to play on their field, but they declined. The final game went unplayed, setting the Bethlehem team behind in playoffs.
The new turf field at Bethlehem, however, sports much better drainage than the grass before it. During the construction and testing process, 75 gallons of water were dumped in an area on the field. Within a couple of minutes, the turf was dry again.
With the installation of the new turf, Bethlehem sports teams and physical education classes alike will be on more equal footing with the rest of the state, according to Kies. Alongside the permanent stitched lines on the field, the improved drainage will allow for longer and more consistent use.
“You provide our coaching staff and our athletes with the assets the competition has,” Kies said, “and although we’ve been strong in many sports for many years, this will continue to elevate our program.”
This story appeared on page 1 of the September 13, 2023 print edition of the Spotlight
