Oakland to Unveil New Football Field This Fall
Anyone with a child who plays football in town, knows what their field looked like very early into their football season. Oakland’s natural grass fields take a pounding year in and year out from all their usage. Field 8, which is where the football field is located is used by recreation baseball, Indian Hills freshman baseball as well as by the Oakland Recreation Football program. That being said, everyone knew it was time to replace the surface on our football field.
After long discussions, many hours of research and healthy debates the Recreation Commission chose to remain with a natural grass field; if they could do it at Soldier’s Field and Lambeau Field, then why not at the Potash Recreation Complex. The major factors to stay with a natural grass surface were health, safety and cost; keeping the beauty of a natural grass field is just an added bonus.
Studies have shown that artificial turf increases the risk for potential knee and ankle injures for participants and is especially magnified for females. The bigger safety concern though is the increase health risk of carcinogens being inhaled when the artificial turf bakes in the sun. During the summer months Oakland has 400 young campers on the complex who would be subjected to those fumes, as well as baseball players, seniors at the senior center and folks living close to the field. The cost would also be approximately $1 million dollars for an artificial surface, and even if the Rec Commission could raise those funds, they would be leaving the taxpayers with a very expensive issue in 10 to 15 years.
Along with other less serious concerns the commission chose to retain a natural surface. They took the recommendation of experts, so an all-natural Kentucky Blue Grass sod field was installed. There will also be a maintenance plan put into place to care for the fields during and after the season. Oakland’s DPW is second to none and always does a phenomenal job maintaining the fields. With the laying of a mature well rooted sod field, we expect the football players to have a great season. Like all the projects at the recreation complex, this venture was paid for using no taxpayer dollars. Let’s Go Braves!