The only thing more exciting than sitting watching grass grow is sitting watching turf get installed. Oak Park and River Forest High School is installing CoolPlay turf this year on its stadium field, following an April 10 discussion and an April 24 school board approval of an approximately $56,000 upgrade to the ongoing $12.5 million geothermal digging project. The new turf will be ready for 2025 fall sports tryouts.
The stadium field was removed to install geothermal wells, which will provide energy-efficient heating and cooling for new facilities as part of Project 2, the school’s major renovation of its arts and athletics spaces. With the ground already dug up, the district saw an opportunity to upgrade the stadium surface too.
The new CoolPlay infill is designed to lower turf temperatures by up to 15 to 20 degrees, prevent injuries and reduce maintenance. It’s made from around 20,000 recycled tires, needs no watering or chemicals and is fully recyclable. The district has already used it on the Track and Field facility with success.
Athletic Director Nicole Ebsen sees the investment as a long-term win for student-athletes. “We’re very fortunate to have the resources to be able to do this,” she said. “It is really a benefit for our athletes, both in competition, scheduling and just overall longevity of our spaces.”
Ebsen emphasized that turf fields help keep the athletic calendar running smoothly, especially when spring weather becomes messy. “We had rain pretty much all throughout the day… and baseball’s still playing, softball’s still playing,” she said. “It helps us to keep stuff on schedule. It helps for a safe environment for the kids so they’re not playing on wet dirt, which could possibly lead to injuries.”
Freshman soccer player Sophie Wasiolek, who tore her ACL playing on the grass field this year, echoed that point. “When I recently injured myself, I came to think about how turf could have made my fall easier than the slippery grass,” she said.
The April 10 board meeting included some debate over the proposed turf upgrade. Board member Graham Brisben questioned whether the change was necessary, pointing out that the existing turf had not yet reached the end of its useful life, having only been in use for just over six years when it typically lasts 10 years. “So what we’re replacing it with now is the Cadillac of turf fields,” he said.
Assistant Superintendent for Business Services Anthony Arbogast countered this point. “I would not say we’re replacing it with the Cadillac,” he said. “I would say what we’re replacing it with is the Buick.”
