“It’s a community event,” said Middletown Schools Superintendent Deborah Houser.
“We have the new turf tonight for the public to see and that is pretty exciting,” said Houser.
The new field – done up with bright graphic designs highlighting Middletown’s famed “Middie Man” and “Middie Pride” logos – also features the GMC (Great Miami Conference) logo.
The GMC is one of southwest Ohio’s most powerful prep sports leagues and includes fellow Butler County-based Lakota West and East, Fairfield and Hamilton high schools.
The field was installed over summer break and was being paid for through the school system’s permanent improvement fund, which state law allows restricted spending on school districts’ facilities upgrades, renovations and replacements of buildings and other infrastructure.
It’s the first new synthetic turf field for Barnitz Stadium since 2014.
And the Middies successfully defended their new home turf, defeating Troy 28-20.
Middletown High School Tasha Van, whose son is a senior star safety who has received a scholarship to play for the Spartans football squad of Michigan State University, said she liked the new field for reasons beyond its pristine appearance.
“Everyone is happy with an environment that is aesthetically pleasing but for me as a Mom it’s more about safety and protection it can provide not just for now but also for future athletes,” said Van referring to the new, state-of-the-art padding under the turf, which is an improvement from the old artificial surface.
The padding is the latest design to help prevent possibly dangerous concussions for football players and for other Middletown girls and boys who will be competing on the field.
Booker Van, a former Middie football star, said the new football field “shows the investment Middletown has put into its athletics.”
“It’s a beautiful field, safe and one of the best football fields around,” he said.
Middie fan Terrio Henderson was watching from the stands supporting his younger brother on the team.
A former football Middie player, Henderson said the turf “is good for protecting the players’ ankles and keeping them safer from concussions.”
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