Published: October 11, 2008 11:29 pm         

Nicholas field of dreams may lead to more advances

SUMMERSVILLE — At first, there were doubts whether it could be pulled off.

After all, $50,000 to $60,000 had gone into a project aimed at fortifying the old natural surface at Memorial Stadium. It didn’t work. And now, local business and government leaders were being asked to consider another project, this one to cost considerably more.

But all involved recognized something had to be done.

“The last year of natural surface (2006), we probably canceled 10 events (at the stadium),” said Bill Dobbins, assistant principal and athletic director at Nicholas County High School. “We were at the point we could have looked at it as unsafe.

“I dreaded seeing rain coming. I had to make the call. I love sports. I love seeing our young people involved in sports. For me to have to cancel a game because the field was unplayable, it hurt me.”

So two years ago, a meeting was called to pitch the idea of installing artificial turf at the stadium.

“It all started with a box of artificial turf that Rocky (Roberts, the athletic director and football coach at Summersville Middle School) carried around and a booklet,” Dobbins recalled.

That and the words of Jack Cole, who was the athletic director at Summersville Junior High in the late 1970s.

“That’s what moved me into the project,” Summersville businessman Steve Ferguson said. “At that first meeting, Jack Cole said that 30 years ago a group of business people built a state-of-the-art stadium before its time and that it was time for another group of visionary people to step up. I think he was right.

“We had just put $50,000 to $60,000 into the old surface and it wasn’t working. To be able to still raise money in light of that, I think there were two reasons. One, the people that we got together had a lot of credibility that if it was going to be done, it was going to be done right, and they stayed committed. And two, I think they saw the need. When water would pool on the old field, it smelled. It stunk. And injuries were a concern.”

In less than a year, in time for the start of the 2007 football season, the artificial surface had been installed. And that wasn’t the only improvement at the stadium. There’s a new scoreboard and sound system. The home-side grandstand was re-sealed and re-painted.

The turf itself cost $475,000, of which $275,000 was financed at $55,000 a year over five years — and two of those payments have been made, Roberts said. Pledges from private and public sources totaled $630,000, and of that, $330,000 has been collected.

The turf is guaranteed for eight years, Roberts said. “We’re hoping to get 10 to 12. The eventual culprit is the sun, not wear and tear.” He said 80 percent of the work involved the sub-base.

Ferguson said a “broad spectrum of people” supported the project. “We said no to nobody. We were just as appreciative of the $100 donation as the $25,000 donation. A lot of people who donated don’t have kids in it.”

“Summersville as a community pulled together and got this done,” Dobbins said. “We had a community that cared.”

Through donations and materials, the track project at Richwood High School also benefited, Ferguson said.

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NCHS officials have been pleased with the results. They say numbers are up and injuries are down. The football team has 63 players, including freshmen, on its roster, about 8 percent of the school population. The band is up to about 80 members. The numbers for boys and girls soccer are up.

Middle school and youth football numbers are also up.

“Is the new turf part of it? I’d have to say yes,” Dobbins said. “The community provided an excellent product for the kids. And that product has produced larger numbers. Everything has just fallen in place.

“We had a band competition here recently. Before, we may have not been able to do it.

“Every official who has come here, their comment is that this is the best field they’ve ever been on. I’m probably prejudiced, but I believe our surface is so much softer than Laidley Field (in Charleston).

“The committee did a lot of homework. Rocky spent a lot of time researching different surfaces. We’re very pleased with the product.”

“I feel very confident we got the best field for the dollar value,” Ferguson added.

Roberts says other schools have looked at what Summersville has done and requested information.

Ferguson sees it as an important piece of the puzzle.

“If you want to see growth, you’ve got to look down the road a little bit,” he said. “Do I attribute the growth of Summersville to the turf project? No. But I think with the stadium, the new armory (with an arena and conference center) and U.S. 19, the area is seeing some growth.

“I’ve always believed extracurricular activities are an important part of the education system. You learn about teamwork, which is important to me as an employer. You learn how to get along socially. You learn that life is not always fair and that you have to deal with adversity.”

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With the turf project largely behind them, local leaders are now looking into the possibility of establishing a YMCA facility in Summersville.

“That will be the next thing the community takes a look at,” Ferguson said. “It definitely deserves a look. Would we have the demographics to do it? That’s what we’ll want to find out.

“I think the community would like to test the waters to see if a YMCA could meet the needs of the community. If we do it, we’ve got to make sure we do it right.”