At the January 2012 District 225 Board Meeting, the installation of turf fields at GBS and GBN was approved. This is GREAT NEWS for our students!

You can support GBS’s turf fundraising efforts two ways.

The first is to attend the Second City Laugh Out Loud Tour which comes to GBS’ Norman E Watson Auditorium on April 14. Co-sponsored with the GBS Instrumental League, all the funds raised will go toward the Turf Project. Tickets can be purchased at www.seatyourself.biz/gbs.

The second is to become a Titan 4 Turf. Members of our community have a unique opportunity to support our Turf initiative by joining either the ΓΒΣ Club ($50), the Hercules Club ($125), the Zeus Club ($250) or the Titan Club ($500). Your donation will earn you a listing on the GBS Titan Booster Club website, one or more commemorative pins which you can wear to signify your contribution to the project AND are your admission ticket to a special tailgate party at the first home football game on the new field in September 2012, and you will receive a mention in our weekly newsletter. Plus, all Titan Club members will receive an acrylic crushed ice memento recognizing your support. Contact the Booster Club at info@boosterclub.org if you are interested in becoming a Titan 4 Turf.

The August 2012 installation of artificial turf in the GBS stadium field will enable our athletes to keep up with the competition.

“A lot of schools get a jump on us (in spring sports) because they have turf and can start practice right away on a full field, usually by March” according to GBS athletic director Steve Rockrohr.

The District 225 report on Artificial turf counted 130 Illinois high school fields with turf, among them nearby Deerfield, Maine South, Evanston, Niles West, Niles North and Loyola Academy.

“It’s not a luxury anymore. So many schools have them now” states Brian Robinson, GBS head athletic trainer.

According to GBS head boys soccer coach Paul Agombar, “In other soccer prorams that have installed turf, there has been improvement in results, as the players know what to expect each time they play. That is not the case with a grass field that is used for multiple sports.”

Likewise, GBS head girls lacrosse coach Annie Lesch notes “It will be great for girls lacrosse. It will allow us to get outside at the start of our season as opposed to playing in the gym. And therefore, we can work on our spacing on the field. It will also allow us to host games earlier in the season.”

In 2011, the GBS football team played four of its five regular season away games on turf. And, in preparation for their playoff game at Lyons, which has artificial turf, the Titans had to travel to Wheeling High School to practice on their artificial turf.

We encourage all Booster Club members to join in the excitement by becoming a “TITAN 4 TURF!” (Details to come)

At the January 2012 District 225 Board Meeting, the installation of turf fields at GBS and GBN was approved. This is GREAT NEWS for our students!  Here’s why:

Safety Concerns

Unlike the original “astro-turf” which was glorified carpet over concrete, the new synthetic turfs feature grass-like fibers/blades interspersed with a soil-like base made of sand and/or rubber which provides stability and uniformity.

Research has found that injuries are usually sport specific and not related to the playing surface, whether it be natural or synthetic. Brian Robinson, head athletic trainer at GBS, states “At the high school level, there seems to be no difference between grass and turf, mainly because schools haven’t been using turf for that long.”

The addition of turf on the GBS stadium field will allow the outlying practice fields the recovery time needed to be properly maintained. This will lead to more consistent practice field surfaces, thereby the reducing the number of injuries sustained as a result of numerous “divots.”

The temperature will be warmer on turf than it is on a natural grass field, but not to the point of it becoming a safety issue. Watering systems will be in place to cool the artificial field, if necessary. Extreme temperatures have not been an issue in other districts with artificial fields.

We encourage all Booster Club members to join in the excitement by becoming a “TITAN 4 TURF!” (Details to come)