Any time the artificial surface that was installed in Bridgeport in 2005 is mentioned in an article it inevitably draws a question as to why didn’t the school just leave it as natural grass or why not go back to natural grass. This past week, on multiple social media venues under the Connect-Bridgeport umbrella there were a handful of those comments.

 

For those that don’t know the history of turf and the process that led to it, it’s not just a fair question it’s a legitimate question. And for those who do have a handling on the history, it’s not completely off the wall to think that it was a much better time when the football and soccer teams played on natural grass.

 

And before going further, this isn’t about other schools in North Central West Virginia having and not having turf. This commentary is strictly limited to Bridgeport’s situation.

 

With that out of the way, let’s rewind to roughly 2003. It was somewhere around this time frame that I was asked to work with what would eventually be called the “Field for Tomorrow” committee that would raise the funds for the initial turf installation. It was at least in 2003, maybe earlier, so there was at least two full years of planning before things went from drawing board to actual earth being moved.

 

I still remember among the first things the committee did was to have a grass expert look at the condition of the field. Although my notes escape me from that meeting several years ago, my memory is somewhat intact. Basically, the field was described as being “destroyed.” To make it completely safe and playable it was going to take up to two years of zero usage and once the new grass would take root and be a great surface, the expert recommended no more than 15-20 events per year – and that excluded any contact type of practice. Understand 15 to 20 was “high end” usage and the actual usage was – for best life expectancy – less than that.

 

The options faced weren’t good. Sure, maybe a Fairmont State would have allowed Bridgeport to play in Marion County for two seasons or they could have cobbled home games at other local high schools, but the real issue was that once the two years – or whatever time period was needed to let the field rest and regrow grass – you had limited events that were going to be able to be played. That meant sports that see plenty of time there now simply would be on their own.

 

The real problem was that after two years, if a football game was played in a Friday downpour and a soccer postseason game would have been played in Saturday mud, the two years of work on the field could be ruined and you’d be back to square one.

 

From a football standpoint, changing the field from grass to artificial surface was to the detriment of the Indians’ football program. With the conservative style of the stick-I that was almost exclusively run-oriented, bad weather was almost always to the Indians benefit. Games played in the mud that eventually went in favor of the Indians, particularly in the Wayne Jamison year, are too numerous to remember.

 

Eventually, it was determined that for the good of the football program and the quickly growing sports such as soccer – and all the junior varsity, freshmen and middle school teams – that the only way to provide for all was to go with an artificial surface. Exploration of building a second grass field was even looked at, but quickly dismissed as the costs would have been in the millions.

 

Back in 2005, those involved knew they would have to replace it. They knew that this day would come. No one has been caught by surprise.

 

The day to get serious about replacing the existing turf is here. The time is now. A name for the campaign has been announced, funds have already been set aside (nearly $60,000) and ways to donate will be announced shortly.

 

I have no doubt the community will step up because it benefits not only the community, but the one thing the community cares most about – its children. When that’s on the table, Bridgeport has a record that’s far from artificial.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo, courtesy of Dick Duez, shows the initial turf being installed in 2005. Bottom photo shows then BHS senior Jamin McCue heading up a destroyed surface in the last natural grass game between the Indians and Robert C. Byrd. Photo courtesy of BHS Journalism Department and Mrs. Alice Rowe.