(BROOKLINE, Massachusetts) – Located just miles from the bustling center of Boston, Dexter Southfield School’s campus spans an impressive 36-acres and enrolls over 800 students from Pre-K to 12th grade. Dexter School originally opened in 1926 and Southfield in 1992. The two schools merged in 2013 to become Dexter Southfield School.
The Shaw Sports Turf install is part of the second phase in an ‘Athletics and Wellness Initiative’ first launched in the fall of 2016. Phase II includes the renovation of the main field, installation of a natural, outdoor amphitheater, and the addition of new lighting. “The renovations have become a huge point of pride for the community,” said Julie Powers, Director of Communications, Dexter Southfield School. And it truly is a community initiative as the school expands their commitment to the overall health and wellness of the campus and outlying community.
The former artificial turf field that was replaced with Shaw Sports Turf was almost 20 years old and in need of replacement. The choice to go with Shaw Sports Turf was based on the high-quality products offered by Shaw and their high standing reputation nation-wide.
“We wanted the “best in class” product for our student-athletes,” said Powers. “We worked directly with RAD and they highly recommended Shaw Sports Turf.”
Dexter Southfield prides itself on its wide array of sports programs for their students. Primary activities to be held on the field include athletic activities, practices, and games for students in Pre-K through grade 12 school. Classes 3-5 rotate through a full nine sports programs as part of their Intramural Program. Students in classes 6-12 can participate in the school’s Interscholastic Athletic Program, offering both varsity and sub varsity teams in 17 sports. 2-of-2
To meet the unique needs of the school and multipurpose use desired for the field, the school chose to install Shaw Sports Turf’s Legion HP system with the Brock Powerbase YSR Shock pad. Legion is a combination of high-performance monofilament fibers and a durable slit film fiber. The slit film fiber is a workhorse which will handle the workload, while the monofilament provides a more resilient surface that enhances performance characteristics.
With such a vibrant athletic program, Powell is confident of the positive impact the field will have on the student body. “Our students benefit from our School’s state-of-the-art facilities, and the turf is great addition to our campus. Dexter Southfield students are grateful for the opportunity to play on such a competitive surface,” said Powell.
Construction began in June of 2018 and was completed in August of 2018. More than 2,000 community members, including students, teachers, staff, and alumni, celebrated the official opening of the field on Dexter Southfield Day, an annual community event.
Following the official opening of the field, the first activity held on the field was football practice.
“Our Legion product, combined with the beautiful tiered seating system, makes the Dexter Southfield facility a truly one of a kind facility in all of New England, and one that the school will enjoy for many years. We are very proud and pleased to once again partner with RAD Sports and Activitas on building yet another state-of-the-art facility,” said Territory Manager Joe Kacevich.
ABOUT SHAW SPORTS TURF
A wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Shaw Industries is a full flooring provider to the residential and commercial markets. Shaw supplies carpet, hardwood, laminate, resilient, and tile/ stone flooring products, as well as synthetic turf. Shaw Sports Turf is one of the leading synthetic turf companies in North America and has represented quality and innovation for more than two decades with over 3,000 successful installations, including an impressive list of high-profile field installations. For more information please visit www.shawsportsturf.com, call 866-703-4004 or find us on Facebook.