By Jesse Serwer
While the arrival of Field Turf, the new advancement in sports-field technology, will provide relatively inexpensive, maintenance-free fields for the soccer and lacrosse teams of Rockville Centre, the LandTek Group, the Amityville-based company that is installing the fields, and the village of Rockville Centre aren't taking any chances.
Last week, LandTek, which has created synthetic athletic fields at Hofstra, SUNY-Stony Brook and St. Johns, halted construction due to snow and frozen ground. The company has also installed fields at area high schools, including Hewlett and Chaminade, as well as at Coney Island's Steeplechase Park and Chelsea Piers in Manhattan. "There is about two solid weeks of work left, but we are working at the mercy of Mother Nature," said Rockville Centre Village Administrator Ron Wasson. "Once the fields are installed, they are completely weather-resistant, but when you're installing them, you have to do it right. The big thing is setting up the drainage below."
Local teams, meanwhile, are anxiously awaiting their return to the fields. "This surface is awesome," said Molloy College sports information director Dan Drutz. "It is the most popular surface with pro teams, especially in the Northeast, because it stands up to the weather."
Wasson was equally enthusiastic. "We lowered our maintenance costs exponentially, while increasing our field use to something that is 100 percent playable all the time, year-round," the administrator said.
Not to be confused with Astroturf, Field Turf consists of a synthetic plastic material that is about three inches long and filled with frozen rubber and sand.
Officials at Molloy College, which split the cost of the resurfacing with the village, realize that renovations rarely go without a hitch, especially when weather is involved. Even though they know the fields will be worth the wait, they were not ready for the start of Molloy's men's lacrosse season this week. "We just don't know when we are going to get on the field, so we are looking for alternative fields for our first and second games," said Athletic Director Harry Herman. The Rockville Centre lacrosse and soccer clubs are also awaiting use of the fields.
Several factors contributed to the decision to again resurface fields that were refurbished as recently as 2001. "Unfortunately, we are land poor in this village when it comes to athletic fields," said Wasson, who explained that the demand for the fields rose even further when lighting was added. "Everybody wanted to play, and to play earlier in the year." In the past, without any recovery time, dirt patches have been regular features of the fields.
Field Turf was deemed too expensive when the complex was built, but as the technology became more widely available, it also became more affordable. When Molloy agreed to share the cost of the renovation with the village, the project, once a pipe dream, became a reality.
"With the college underwriting about half the costs, it was an opportunity to make an investment in the field that is going to benefit everyone," said state Senator Dean Skelos, who negotiated Rockville Centre's purchase of the complex from the state in 2001.
The fields will primarily be used by the Rockville Centre lacrosse and soccer clubs, but the availability of more field time has enabled Molloy to create a NCAA Division II women's lacrosse program, which will begin play next spring.
The synthetic surface will also make play safer for local athletes. "Natural turf is the most desirable surface to have, but unless it's a professional football or baseball field where you can spend millions on maintenance every year, there will be ruts," Wasson said. "This way, a kid isn't going to blow out his knee because of a small divot."
While Field Turf is still a new technology, the life expectancy of the field is 10 to 15 years, and the replacement cost is minimal. "All the material is replaceable, so once the drainage system is in, it's basically the cost of replacing a carpet," Wasson said.
Comments about this story? JSerwer@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 221.
