Sacred Heart Greenwich made a splash September 8 as the entire school community gathered to christen the two new field hockey and lacrosse turf fields with a celebratory turf-watering event.

Head of School Mrs. Pamela Hayes, Chair of the Board of Trustees Mr. Christopher Ryan, Director of Athletics Ms. Kelly Stone, and field hockey Sports Specialist and Functional Strength Coach Mr. Alexandru Gheorghe were present at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Senior varsity field hockey co-captains Olivia Monahan and Charlotte Sheehan, along with senior varsity lacrosse captain Sammy Clark represented the Sacred Heart student body.

Senior Olivia Monahan remarked on participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony and shared her thoughts about utilizing the new fields.

“I am looking forward to seeing how our team improves this season and how these fields may challenge our opponents because it is a surface they are not accustomed to. We are so grateful to the school for giving us this amazing opportunity,” Olivia said.

Mrs. Hayes also discussed the importance of the new fields and how they will provide opportunities for Sacred Heart athletes to become accustomed to playing at the collegiate level.

“Our student-athletes will now have the opportunity to play on the best surfaces in the world,” Mrs. Hayes said.
The new field hockey turf operates through water-based technology including an in-ground irrigation system to water the fields. The blue color of the field allows easier visibility of the ball and creates more consistent ball roll. These artificial turfs installed by Greenfields are used at many sporting events, specifically the field hockey World Cup in The Hague, Netherlands.

The new lacrosse field has a patented woven surface which enables shock absorption, improving long-lasting performance for ball roll. This new field also provides a more natural look and feel for the players.  Installed by Greenfields, this artificial turf is used at the US Lacrosse Headquarters and Training Center in Spark, Maryland.

In addition to practices, students will use these fields for physical education classes. The new turf fields will also enhance the Summer Outreach program and provide a new home for the annual Katie Cassidy Higgins ’96 Memorial Lacrosse Tournament.

The Athletic Department and Board of Trustees decided to renovate the fields in order to further provide athletic resources for Sacred Heart students and teams, according to Ms. Stone.

Varsity field hockey coach and Chair of the Physical Education Department Ms. Sarah Hill describes how the fields will improve the dynamic of the game and recognized the dedication that Mrs. Hayes and the Trustees have put into the athletic program. 

“We gathered as a community to celebrate this important event as a symbol of our unity in recognizing the support from the Head of the School and our Board of Trustees in providing top-notch training facilities for all of our students,” Ms. Hill said.

After the ribbon-cutting, varsity field hockey and lacrosse players sprinted onto the new fields to scrimmage. Students cheering from the sidelines waved green and white towels to show their school spirit.
– Juliana Collins, Sports & Health Editor