November 8, 2007: Work begins on soccer field near COT
September 21, 2007: Lighthouse Christian plays true home opener at new football field
August 28, 2007: New field greets Mook athletes
August 21, 2007: New customer testimonials from Mesa State College, Colorado
August 19, 2007: The Daily Sentinel - Synthetic Surface is a Hit With Players
August 3, 2007: Professional Turf Solutions to reinstall Mesa State College soccer field
July 9, 2007: Customer testimonials from Tillamook High School, Oregon
June 14, 2007: Tillamook High School Press Release

August 28, 2007

New field greets Mook athletes
by Craig Gilden, Headlight-Herald

Tillamook High School football and soccer teams will have the luxury of playing with a new home field advantage this season, due to a state-of-the-art synthetic turf playing surface. The field cost $325,000 and was financed through several individual and business donations. Two of the major contributors were TLC Federal Credit Union, which gave an interest-free up front loan, and the Tillamook Creamery Association which pledged $150,000.

The teams started practice on the field this past Monday and coaches and players have already seen a difference.

"We are not having to practice in the mud," said head football coach Dave Ackerman.

Ackerman recalled that in past years even the slightest bit of rain would have made for a muddy practice field. "The footing is really good, plus it looks great and we can take pride in that. The kids understand what people in the community have done for them."

Boys soccer coach Brian Reynolds has also noticed that sense of pride that his squad has demonstrated toward their new home turf. "We now have the top facility in our league to play on and the team wants to defend that," he said. "Hopefully it will also bring in bigger crowds." Along with more support, the Mooks could benefit from being the only team in their league with a turf field.

Girls soccer coach Susie Coughlan is excited for the new turf as well. "It should really be a boost for our program," she said. "We are just really thankful to the community for it."

The first ever competition on the new surface at Doc Adams Field will take place Saturday, Sept. 1, when the boys soccer team hosts a jamboree event.

The first football game will be Friday night, Sept. 7, against Central High School, where donors who helped finance the 98,000-square-foot field will be honored in a halftime ceremony.

Besides being used by the football and soccer teams, physical education classes and local sports leagues will have access to the field. The field was installed by Pro Turf Solutions, a Colorado-based company.


Copyright © 2007 The Tillamook Headlight-Herald.
Original article printed in the Tuesday, August 28, 2007 issue of The Tillamook Headlight-Herald (click here to view a copy of the original article as found on the Tillamook Headlight-Herald website).
 
 

Testimonials

"I can't say enough about Dale and his crew and their impeccable attention to detail. From the day he arrived at Grants Pass High School to talk to our board, to the final walkthrough, it was a delight to work with the PTS family. The workmanship was excellent -- early morning, evenings, rain and hail didn't curtail their progress. Our field is absolutely beautiful and is being used every day, regardless of the weather, by our students and athletes. We look forward to having PTS install our new girls' softball field!"

   Tom Blanchard, 11-Year NFL Veteran
   Athletic Director & Football Coach
   Grants Pass High School, Oregon

"We used Professional Turf Solutions at the University of South Carolina in September 2004 to install a 60 yd. indoor multi-use practice field. Their crew, led by Dale Collett, did an exceptional job. They were very organized and worked from sun up to sun down. The crew tore out and disposed of old turf, then cleaned up the area before installing new turf. The new turf, including football yard lines, hash marks and one end zone area, was installed in a very professional manner. The company left us extra supplies and phone numbers to call with any problems. I am happy to say our turf has had no problems. This turf also needs only a little maintenance (frequency depends on use). I highly recommend using Professional Turf Solutions for all your installation needs."

   Kelly E. Lewis
   Field House Manager
   University of South Carolina

"What impressed me most about Pro Turf Solutions was that the president of PTS was directly involved in our field installation at Roseburg High School from start to finish. These guys are real pros."

   Thurman Bell, 4-Time State Champion
   Athletic Director & Football Coach
   Roseburg High School, Oregon

"Wow! What better way to express the feelings of our community about your efforts on Mel Ingram Field. It is absolutely beautiful and is being used every day, rain or shine! Our thanks to you, Dale, for everything you've done to make this dream a reality. Your patience with us and your willingness to explain every detail of the project was very much appreciated. You were available when we had questions and your attention to detail was exceptional. Please say hello and 'thank you' to all of your crew. We enjoyed meeting and working with them!"

   Booster Club Director