Shawnee Heights USD 450 Updates Football Field with New Synthetic Turf Surfacing

The Shawnee Heights High School football field has been undergoing major renovations since May of this year. Kansas Turf, LLC/Mammoth Sports Construction is replacing the grass field with synthetic turf surfacing. The roll-out of the new turf will begin Friday, August 16, 2019.

The Shawnee Heights USD 450 Board of Education and district leaders had been discussing the possibility of a new field when their plan was accelerated due to a major discount proposed to them by Kansas Turf, LLC/Mammoth Sports. After Friends University changed plans with purchasing their initial turf, Kansas Turf, LLC/Mammoth Sports presented Shawnee Heights USD 450 with a proposal of a new field with a savings of over $170,000.

A five-year study concluded synthetic turf is safer than natural grass indicating:

·      44% fewer concussion injuries

·      25% less time lost to long-term injuries

·      16% less time lost due to short-term injuries

·      43% fewer ACL injuries

Along with the safety qualities of the field, usability also increased. Approximately eight hundred and eighty students will use the field for sports and other activities. Eight hundred and fifty students will have access to it during physical education classes alone.

The Synthetic Turf will be completed by August 30, 2019, just in time for the Varsity Jamboree with Seaman, Highland Park, and Washburn Rural high school.