Student athletes were part of a ribbon-cutting ceremony held October 22 for the dedication of the new student recreation fields at Grand Valley. The fields will provide more room for the growing number of students involved in athletics and intramural sports and clubs on campus.
"We've wanted and needed these fields for a long time," said GVSU President Thomas J. Haas. "These new fields will help promote healthy activity for all of our students."
Athletic Director Tim Selgo said: "The new fields are in a perfect spot because almost all of our students use the recreation facilities. We are thankful for this project; the new fields will certainly help us recruit and retain students."
The fields encompass 65 acres and includes a stormwater management
system, a rugby field, a lacrosse field, a 400 meter track, two
softball fields, a track throws area and picnic shelters. There is
also a building for concessions, locker rooms and scoring.
The recreation fields, varsity lacrosse field and track will
be available early next week for use. The fields were created using
recycled rubber and synthetic turf, eliminating the need for water and
mowing, which will reduce emissions.
The project was accepted into The Sustainable Sites Initiative,
a pilot program that hopes to create national guidelines for
sustainable land design. It is an interdisciplinary effort by the
American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson
Wildflower Center and the U.S. Botanic Gardens to create voluntary
national guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable land
design, construction and maintenance practices.
