More than 30 percent of students at Saint Joseph’s College are athletes, which means the campus’ existing athletic fields through the years have taken a beating.
The condition of the fields and the number of athletes who use them are among the many reasons the campus has long been aiming to enhance its outdoor sports facilities.
Now, the school has developed an ambitious plan to re-do fields with synthetic turf and build new facilities.
The Standish Planning Board will review the site plan for the multi-phase project on Monday, Dec. 7, at Standish Town Hall. A public hearing on the project will likely be held sometime this winter.
Saint Joseph’s, located on Whites Bridge Road in Standish, boasts several athletic facilities for both students and community members to use, including the Harold Alfond Center, which comprises a rock climbing wall, an elevated indoor track, a dance studio, a fitness and weight room, a six-lane swimming pool and a 12,000-square-foot gymnasium.
And then there are two baseball diamonds, and two athletic fields. The soccer field on Westerlea Way, near the Harold Alfond Center, as well as the field hockey field behind Mercy Hall, on the opposite side of campus, are long overdue for improvements, says the athletic director, Brian Curtain.
“We’ve long looked forward to having a turf field on campus, particularly a field that has lights and can host various sports,” Curtain said.
The soccer field was constructed in 1990 after the college added women’s soccer in 1988 and men’s soccer in 1990. The field, where several championship soccer matches have been held through the years, has bleacher seating for about 300 spectators and ample space for lawn chairs.
According to Tory Ryden, senior director of communications and marketing, the school plans to redesign the soccer field on Westerlea Way behind Feeney Hall by adding artificial turf and surrounding the field with an outdoor track. Part of the plan includes building a facility at the field that would provide small grandstand seating, concessions, a locker room and restrooms.
A second facility will be built behind the Harold Alfond Center, and include another artificial turf field and six tennis courts, Ryden said. Both fields would have additional parking.
“We’ve had to play a lot of games away because we just didn’t have the proper fields,” Ryden said. “These are sorely needed field improvements. It’s hard to attract students and athletes if you don’t have the proper facilities.”
One issue is that the existing soccer and field hockey fields lack lighting, said Ryden, which is a disadvantage for athletes – lack of light means the teams are limited to holding events only during the daytime.
“Turf and lights offer a tremendous opportunity for communities because it expands playing time,” said Jen DeRice, director of Parks and Recreation in Standish. “Seasons last longer and participants can play through inclement weather and darkness. Provided there is a desire to work together with the town, I’m certain this expansion could become a valuable asset to the residents of Standish.”
The town of Standish and other surrounding communities are allowed to use the college’s athletic facilities, including the gym and pool. If the additional fields were built, DeRice said, Standish Recreation would be allowed to expand its ultimate Frisbee, softball and soccer programs.
“I understand there is a need for youth football and soccer fields for many of the Bonny Eagle leagues who currently utilize the school department fields,” DeRice added.
The fact that the field is grass, and not artificial turf, also poses a challenge for athletes, said Curtain, because it means less playing time for them if it’s wet and muddy.
“Turf will definitely help because it can hold up to more wear and tear with the weather conditions we have,” said women’s soccer coach Jenelle Harris. “Typically when we (start) our spring season in April the field is too soft.”
Adding artificial turf “is going to allow our teams in the spring to get out (on the fields) a little earlier, and we think it will benefit them greatly,” Curtain added.
“It speeds up the play of the game,” said St. Joe’s soccer player Brooke Troup, while kicking around a soccer ball with teammate Sarah Comtois on the field Wednesday. “It will also give us opportunities to practice longer.”
The field on Westerlea Way will also be reconfigured in order to keep the sun out of the players’ and spectators’ eyes, from both sides of the field, said Ryden.
“By turning it slightly, we are able to alleviate the sun-in-the-eyes issue,” she said.
Another “big plus” of the project, she said, is the fact that the improved facilities will help attract prospective students and athletes.
“This is really another step toward showing our commitment to our students, but also to the community,” said Ryden. “It’s something we have been working toward for a long time.”
Ryden said she could not provide an overall cost of the project at this time since the plan is still being developed. The goal, she said, is to improve the Westerlea Way field, which is Phase 1 of the project, and reopen it by fall 2016.
Sophomore Saint Joseph’s College soccer players Brooke Troup, left, and Sarah Comtois kick a ball back and forth on the soccer field off Westerlea Way on the campus Wednesday. The college has plans to install artificial turf on its soccer fields, among other improvements.
A rendering shows what the soccer field on Westerlea Way will look like after redevelopment. Plans include artificial turf, an outdoor track, grandstands, concessions and more.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
