Greenwich Country Day details plans for synthetic turf fields
GREENWICH — Last year, Greenwich Country Day School launched its new Upper School and an athletic program for those students. So the next step for the coed independent school is to expand its athletic fields and facilities.
Greenwich Country Day recently received approval from the town to add two NCAA regulation-size synthetic turf fields and bleacher/ stadium seating that can hold up to 450 spectators to its athletics facility on Cardinal Road in Greenwich, among other improvements.
“The two planned NCAA-size turf fields are crucial to the strength of our program as we look forward to high level competition and showing our Tiger Pride,” GCDS athletic director Tim Helstein said.
One of the new fields on Cardinal Road will be no-infill “Hockey Gold” synthetic turf field specifically designed for field hockey and softball. The second multisport synthetic turf field will be used by
Greenwich Country Day’s soccer, football and lacrosse teams.
Two synthetic-turf fields will be created at the site, made from three grass fields that are there now.
The plans also call for a new storage building and additional parking at GCDS as part of the expansion at the school, which runs from nursery school to Grade 12.
The plans submitted by the coed college preparatory school received approval from the Greenwich Planning and Zoning Commission at a meeting Sept. 9.
Construction of the two
new athletic fields will be a significant addition to the school’s current facilities, which include an athletic center at the Old Church Road campus and two artificial turf fields at the Stanwich Road Campus, the school said. A fitness center, which is currently under construction, will open in the fall of 2021 as part of the Upper School expansion.
Greenwich Country Day added upper grades last year, along with a new high school sports program.
Gaining approval to enhance its athletic facilities required GCDS to first go before the Greenwich Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency. Greenwich Country Day’s administrators then met with the
Greenwich Architectural Review Committee and finally, the Greenwich Planning and Zoning Commission, which set conditions that will be monitored in the neighborhood.
The school must also form a traffic-management plan for the expansion. The new construction off Fairfield Road had raised concerns in the neighborhood about traffic, congestion and illegal parking.
Helstein hopes to see the school’s student athletes enjoying the new fields and athletic facilities soon.
“Next is the permit phase, then the construction,” he said. “I would love to see it get done as soon as possible. Our school has to get the correct group to put it to
gether, access the financial needs and at some point in the 2021-2022 school year, we hope to have it complete.”
The school’s athletic director emphasized the importance of adding the new sports fields.
“The upgrade to our athletic facilities will allow the school’s student-athletes to compete at the highest level,” Helstein said. “It will improve the atmosphere level at our athletic events and will allow the athletes to be safe — reducing the risk of injuries.”
This year will mark the school’s first season in the Fairchester Athletic Association and the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council. Due to the CO
VID-19 pandemic, the FAA and NEPSAC canceled their regular and postseason schedules for the fall season.
Still, sports teams from most schools that are part of the FAA and NEPSAC are practicing during the fall in order to enjoy some type of sports experience.
“The athletic directors in the FAA have spoken and bounced ideas off each other,” Helstein said. “Perhaps during the fall there will be a possibly be opportunities for us to have a scrimmage against some teams.”
Greenwich Country Day’s fall sports squads are using the time without an organized interscholastic schedule to sharpen their skills and build team camaraderie, he said.
“This fall season, we are trying to rewrite the chapter of how athletics looks,” Helstein said. “Since we don’t have a bunch of games to prepare for, we are trying to slow things down and work on skills, conditioning and building team atmosphere.
“The challenges of the past few months have reminded us of the important value of sports and the way sports can bring us together as a community,” he said. “Our extraordinary coaches continue to build their programs and inspire our student-athletes. We are excited about what is ahead for GCDS athletics.”