Beech Grove High School
Project Overview
Built from a vision of the community and administration, the three field synthetic turf project at Beech Grove High School was over a decade in the making. The district and community recognized a need to upgrade the current multi-purpose, baseball, and softball fields to better accommodate the Hornet student athletes, while also providing an opportunity for external participants to take advantage of first-class facilities. They opted to partner with The Motz Group, based on recommendations from neighboring districts who also chose Motz systems for their turf fields. Beech Grove selected unique turf systems for each field, allowing for improved performance for the athletes.
The Situation
Beech Grove City Schools and the surrounding community understood they wanted to make updates to their full athletic facility for many reasons. The existing baseball and softball fields lacked proper infrastructure that prevented high-performance for their athletes and also presented a safety concern for injuries during play. Athletic activities continued to grow in the district and the Hornets needed facilities that would accommodate the increase in action, while also helping avoid headaches to their schedules from cancellations or delays. They saw neighboring districts making the switch from natural grass fields to synthetic turf, and knew they ultimately wanted to do the same for their student athletes.
The Play
The football and multi-purpose field was built with the cutting edge CrossFlex turf system, that brings in the workhorse power of slit-film fibers and the aesthetic qualities from monofilament fibers. It provides consistency and durability to allow for nearly all sports to utilize the field in one day, including football, soccer, and band. The baseball and softball fields were constructed with the TriplePlay system that consists of three different turf specifications between the infield, outfield, and warning track for optimal performance in each area. The warning tracks include Safeshell as the infill. Safeshell, which is made from all-natural walnut shells, provides a contrasting sound and feel underfoot to the rubber infill in the outfield, which assists the players in knowing their location on the field and preventing potential impact with the outfield fence. The Beech Grove community also threw their support behind the upgrade projects, while understanding the significant benefits it would bring to the district and beyond. The wow factor provides revenue to the athletic department, as well as bringing business to the greater community. The summer schedule is booked every weekend with baseball and softball tournaments, and continues to attract users to Beech Grove to utilize the first-class facilities.
We are proud to have Motz as part of the Hornet family. They have made a difference for our kids and the community for generations.
The Win
- WOW FACTOR The Hornet athletes and the surrounding community have seen significant benefits from the upgraded facilities. They have brought in external business for the community, with band competitions and baseball/softball tournaments wanting to take advantage of the first-class accommodations at Beech Grove.
- PERFORMANCE Beech Grove has heard glowing feedback about the performance of their new synthetic turf fields. The fields play well and are comparative to a high-performance natural grass surface. The athletes appreciate the contrast from the outfield grass to warning track with the inclusion of Safeshell infill in the track.
- FLEXIBILITY The athletic department used to wrestle with Mother Nature to keep their activity schedule intact based on field conditions. Now, with the addition of the synthetic turf systems on all surfaces at Beech Grove High School, even if it rains, the athletes can still get out to play. After installation, a freak spring snowfall initially caused concern for the athletic department, since the baseball and softball teams had activities scheduled – but the snow was melted an hour later and the games proceeded without delay!
Ready to Get Started?
Interested in starting a project? Have questions about our process and products? Wherever you are in planning your dream field, we’re ready to walk through your specific needs, answer any questions you have, and talk through how our team of experts will be there to guide you every step of the way.
