Getting hit in football never feels good, but thanks to a new field surface at Leopard Stadium, hitting the ground doesn’t hurt so much.

    “The first time I stepped on the field I could tell a difference,” senior player Chochy Luce said. There is more traction but at the same time it’s softer. It’s easier to run on and better for your body to land on.”

    That was far from true on the old surface.  In addition to being less-forgiving, the old field was a safety hazard.

    “There is a night and day difference between the new turf and the old turf,” assistant football coach Ryan Priem said. “There is no doubt the new turf is safer. The old turf was getting worn down in several ways. Because the bottom of the turf was deteriorating, it was causing the turf to become uneven in many spots as well as let rocks from the base start coming up through the turf. When the company came in to inspect the turf just after spring football had finished, they deemed it unsafe to play on and suggested that LISD close the stadium and get the turf replaced.”

With the safety of the field in jeopardy, the district took action. The new turf was installed during the summer and the players and coaches were more than happy with it.

    Not only is the new field better quality, it serves as a motivation tool for the team and the fans.

    “Coach Green, Coach Puckett, and Mr. Dennis Womack did a great job designing the new turf,” Priem said. “I think it brings some life and color to the field and everything turned out great. From the double L in the middle of the field, to the multicolored end zones, and the shadowed numbers. The players were very excited on the first day of practice to get out and practice on the new turf and they were equally excited to play the first two games of the year on the new turf. I’d say it had a very positive effect on us.”

    “It’s a great motivator for our team,” Luce said. “We were so pumped to play on the new field, it’s beautiful and we love it.”

    Not only do those who get to be on the field love it, fans thought it was a great change.

    “When I started seeing tweets about the new field over the summer I was really excited to see it finished,” senior fan Kaylin Carmichael said. “When I saw it finished at the first game it looked great and got everyone excited for the season.”

    The turf is all around better than last year. Safety wise and cosmetically.

    “The guys are very comfortable on the turf,” Priem said. “The new turf is softer, looks better, and brings spirit to the field.”