Artificial Turf, Real School Spirit

Nice. Polished. Flat. Green. Practical. These are some of the words Duchesne students used to describe the Duchesne Academy Agee Family Sports Complex. The turf project took over a year with a fantastic result. Our new multi-use green space is a place where all students from the school come together for games, recess, field day, and random games of powderpuff.

On the first day of school, the entire student body gathered for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. Sr. Ann Caire opened the school year with a prayer and the field was blessed by Fr. James Murphy of St. Thomas High School. The Agee family cut the ribbon with critical help from Cha Cha, our school mascot.

The field is the heart of the Duchesne athletic department. The state championship field hockey team regularly practices there, training hard every day. Students often walk the field during breaks in long classes, experiencing nature during the school day. Lower and middle school use the field for recess daily, most often playing volleyball and super competitive tetherball. Seventh grade field hockey player, Lila Humphrey, said she used the field for “sports, playing, having fun, woohoo!” 

More schools are starting to replace grass fields with turf to create an eco-friendly environment. Turf eliminates the use of potentially harmful fertilizers and pesticides, while substantially cutting the cost of maintenance. Turf fields are also safer for sports, avoiding mud and slippery grass. 

My word for the new field - community