For the first time since the campus opened in 2007, the artificial turf on the football and soccer field, along with the turf in the fieldhouse, is going to be replaced after the Frisco ISD Board of Trustees approved the purchase and installation of new turf.

“I’ve been waiting for new turf,” junior soccer player Emma Krilowicz said. “The turf is really short and it’s kind of rough, like it’s definitely very old. You get more scraped up easily [on bad turf] when you fall, and it’s harder to plant your cleat into the turf. You definitely risk more injuries that way also. The fieldhouse will definitely be a lot nicer and it won’t hurt as much when you fall so I’m very excited.”

The move to replacing the turf comes as turf manufacturers have made strides in improving the quality and safety of synthetic turf.

“When people think of turf, they probably don’t think too much of technology, but a lot has happened over the last decade in that with concussion and impact testing and things like that on there,” soccer coach Fred Kaiser said. “With years more of technology on there I’m sure injury prevention will benefit from it. I’m just excited that it’s happening.”

Installation of the new turf is expected to begin in May or June and be ready for the start of fall football practice in August.

“[With new turf] there’s no chance of catching it or seams coming up and things like that, a better job of displacing impact, and absorbing that impact instead of going back into a helmet, or a knee, or a foot,” athletic director Chris Burtch said. “It’s going to look better, it’s going to be better on our joints, our kids’ joints when they’re running out there.”