With football and soccer season beginning the new turf field at Panther Stadium will see its first visitors.

Having turf has many advantages such as less maintenance and a more aesthetic appeal but it also requires changes to the athletes. The field drastically speeds up the pace of a soccer game as the ball rolls faster on the slick surface and a players footing during a football game does not instantly adjust to the smoother surface.

With these facts the question of who will practice on the field came about.

With four levels of high school football, three levels of high school soccer and four levels of middle school football playing games on the field, there is not much time for practice on it, according to Derby High School Athletic Director Steve Shook."

“They both have a day or two out of the week that they can practice on the turf if the coaches choose to,” Shook said.

Soccer and football teams in the district have played their share of away games on turf, enabling them with knowledge.

“They’ve both played on enough turf fields to know what it does,” Shook said.

More than anything the athletic director is looking forward to the sight of the teams on the new field.
“It’s just a beautiful field,” Shook said. “I’m anxious to showcase it to the community.”