The Mt. Vernon football field is set to undergo a transformation for the 2017-18 school year. The current, all-grass field will be renovated into an artificial grass field. From grass to turf; from mud puddles to slippery turf; from grass stains to turf burn, what can Marauders expect with this upcoming change?

Athletic Director, Mr. Ecker, said, “We are still in the process of finalizing everything currently. We hope to have installation occur over the summer in preparation for the 2017 football season… There isn’t a lot of detail to provide until we have the final design funded and approved.”

It is important to note that the field is not solely used for football. A wide variety of students and athletes use the football field for their extracurricular activities. Students who are soccer players, cheerleaders, the color guard team, marching band, and many others will use the field.

A few lady Marauder soccer players shared their opinions on the new field.

Angelina Metcalf, 9, explained, “As a keeper I slide from post to post. When turf gets wet, it is harder to get control of the ball. When the turf is wet I have to figure out when I need to dive for the ball because I will slide farther than on grass.”

Other soccer players shared the advantages of playing and practicing on turf.

Cleo Mills, 10 and Jaici Wright 10, think playing on the new turf will be good preparation for facing different teams that already have turf fields.

Football player Cole Vanslyke, 11, said, “I think it’s pretty cool that we’re getting a new field. Many of the schools we play have turf fields, so it won’t be anything too different for us.”

The modern renovations that the school is undergoing will affect students in different ways. The students will be provided with a new environment to play and compete on. Hopefully students will utilize the turf to their advantage.