Just like Giants Stadium... New football field and track at Hotchkiss School

LAKEVILLE — When fall sports begin at The Hotchkiss School, students and coaches will be greeted with a renovated field and track.

Athletic Director Danny Smith said the renovation began just as a fix-up for the school’s track.

“But when the construction company started to renovate the track, they also had to redesign and replace the drainage underneath the football field, which is inside the track,� Smith said. “So they tore up the whole football field infrastructure and then decided to replace it with a synthetic surface. It’s the same kind of turf you would find at Giants Stadium and Gillette Stadium.�

Smith said the surface will not affect the way football is played on the field.

“However, it will give us a better playing surface in crummy weather,� he said. “There will be no wear, tear or mud on the surface, so it can’t get trashed. Also, we can have practices and play multiple sports on the field, including soccer and lacrosse, in bad weather.�

Separate lines have been drawn, in different colors (white, yellow and blue), for each of the three sports.

Smith said work on the 25-year-old track was long overdue.

“In the last four to five years, the track surface became very hard and brittle, and it was deteriorating very rapidly,� he said. “During the 2008 track and field season our coach said kids were complaining about shin splints.�

Shin splints is an athletic term that refers to several types of lower leg problems, including stress fractures, nerve irritations and tendonitis. Several culprits can contribute to shin splints, including hard and uneven running surfaces.

“The new asphalt on the track is softer, almost a type of rubber outer layer,� Smith said. “It will be more of a cushioned surface, which will be much more conducive to running.�

The track and the field should be ready for use by mid-September.