ProGrass builds new turf field for SHU athletics

A snapshot shows the current progress of the new ProGrass turf field that will be available for Griffins sometime this month. Photo courtesy of D.Clark.
A snapshot shows the current progress of the new ProGrass turf field that will be available for Griffins sometime this month. Photo courtesy of D.Clark.

If you are a part of the sports program, you can see that there is a huge project going on between two of the main sports fields on the Seton Hill University (SHU) campus. As the fall sports teams practice and ready themselves for their respective conference schedules, there is another group that is working hard to provide all of the sports teams at SHU another space to better themselves.

This new turf field will be named after ProGrass for their generous contribution to own naming rights. The ProGrass Field at SHU will be used by all of the current teams who fight for field time on Dicks Sporting Goods field and the baseball/football field below the field house.

Coming from a lacrosse player’s standpoint, this extra space could cut down on the early morning practices that we love so much.

Other SHU athletes will be able to relate to this new revelation as well. This field space will also provide more space for agility training and sports specific drills, so many of the teams will not have to invade the space of the baseball team or football team.

The project started in the middle of the summer, but was in the works for the past year. “The ProGrass team has been working extensively on this project,” said executive athletic director Chris Snyder. “Lines will be sewn in for football, field hockey and women’s lacrosse.”

However, not only will those teams benefit.

“Soccer and men’s lacrosse would also be able to use the field as well. It will be primarily a practice venue, but we could actually play field hockey and women’s lacrosse games there,” said Snyder. “In addition, we are putting in a new softball field with the hopes that is completed by the end of September.”

This will aid all of the students too, respectively women’s softball.

“I am excited to be running point for this university fundraising initiative. As a former student-athlete, I value the gifts that college athletics can provide, most importantly, the relationships that are created,” said Kristofer Smith, development director of corporate & community relations.

“Solid relationships with university sponsors are what have made this project a possibility and I am grateful for the community partners that continue to support us. ProGrass’s leadership gift of over $110,000 has really give this project momentum and we plan to build on that momentum.”

All of the sports facilities are open to students when SHU sports teams are not practicing, and they are great open spaces for any intramural sporting events. This project should be done by mid-September, as all SHU sports teams are patiently awaiting its completion.

Published By: Paige Parise

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