Richard Montgomery High School
“More Than Just A Field”
Why we are installing a synthetic turf field
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All-weather, all season availability for a variety of events
Increased playing hours for use by RM students and for the
RM community
Fewer injuries to all the athletes utilizing the field
Reduced maintenance cost; decrease in man-hours
Excellent playability and stability for all sports
Environmentally friendly for Montgomery County
Cost-effective for RMHS
Infrastructure for the RMHS Sports and Event
Management Academy (SEMA) activities.
Demographics
RM closely
represents the
county’s
demographics
in terms of
ethnic groups.
60
58 %
50
40
42 %
30
20
10
0
White
Diversity
Incoming MYP Freshmen
160
140
140
120
125
100
112
80
60
72
40
20
0
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
Number of RM Students Taking
Advanced Placement Exams
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
760
887
915
2006
2007
798
645
423
2002
2003
2004
2005
Number of Advanced Placement
Exams Administered
2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
1689
1676
2004
2005
1869
1888
2006
2007
1450
919
2002
2003
Sports and Event Management Academy
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Students will be exposed to a rigorous program that provides
valuable knowledge, and critical hands-on experience, in the evergrowing industry of Sports and Event Management.
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Students will actively gain both practical and theoretical
experience to work in the various fields of athletics, sports and
leisure, recreation and sports- and arts-related entertainment.
Topics of interest will include:
• Sports and the Media
• Sports and the Law
• Sports Statistics and Data Analysis
• Kinesiology of Sport
• Marketing
• Business and Entertainment Management.
Sports and Event Management Academy
SEMA students will become part of one of the
following MCPS Career and Technology
Education (CTE) Pathways:
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Media and Broadcast Journalism
Business Administration and Management
Health Professions
(Please refer to the RM web-site for additional program information)
Sports and Event Management Academy
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SEMA students will be actively working with the
RMHS community, as well as other community
groups and businesses, to…
Plan
Implement
Monitor
Facilitate
Advertise
…a variety of sport and entertainment events at
the new RMHS school and stadium facilities.
Sports and Event Management Academy
To date, all of our planned SEMA program events will be
centered on our new artificial-surface stadium field and the
adjacent building facilities.
Events such as…
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county and state interscholastic playoff games,
state and regional Marching Band competitions,
semi-pro. and collegiate soccer and lacrosse tournaments,
state and regional recreational league competitions, and
Montgomery County Arts Council and recreational program events.
…will all be highlighted at our new facilities.
Business and Educational Partners
Coppin State University
Georgetown University
University of Maryland
Penn State University
Washington Nationals
Real Maryland
Rockville Express
Radio America
Third Generation Turf
Synthetic turf is guaranteed to resist:
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Ultraviolet rays (direct sunlight);
Rot, mold, mildew, hydrolysis;
Airborne contaminants;
Microbial attacks (including MRSA);
Foot-traffic of non-athletic events; and
All types of weather.
Third Generation Turf
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Today’s synthetic grass surfaces are not
the “old Astroturf” you may have heard of.
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Technology has advanced to a point where
the 3rd generation synthetic surfaces look
like real grass, play like real grass, and are
proven to be SAFER than real grass.
Third Generation Turf
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Unlike traditional artificial turf, synthetic turf
does not rely on an underlying “shock pad” for
safety, resilience and comfort.
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Like grass, synthetic turf fibers are surrounded
by, and stabilized, by a blend of life-like
“synthetic earth” – a patented, layered mixture
of smooth sand and rubber granules.
Third Generation Turf
Quality synthetic turf fields have up to
10 pounds
of this rubber/sand infill mixture
per square foot of playing surface.
Increased Playing Hours
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Synthetic turf fields can be used 3,000 hours of
“event use” per year (over a four-season window),
with no damage to the turf.
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Natural turf fields become unplayable after 680 to
816 hours per year, and are typically only
available only for three seasons of “athletic play”
(late spring, summer and early fall).
All-Weather Availability
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Synthetic turf can be used within hours of the
heaviest rain.
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Synthetic turf can be used year-around. Snow
can even be plowed off of a synthetic turf field.
Fewer Injuries
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Studies have shown that synthetic turf fields
are far more uniform and consistent than the
natural turf fields schools are able to maintain.
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Synthetic fields are made of resilient materials
that provide a level of impact attenuation that is
difficult to obtain on hard, over-used natural
grass fields.
Environmentally Friendly
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Using synthetic turf eliminates the need for
chemicals that flows into our streams.
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Used auto tire rubber (in the infill mixture)
recycles 25 million used auto tires per year
(otherwise, they end up in U.S. landfills).
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The EPA regularly encourages the use of
recycled auto tires for playgrounds, running
tracks and artificial surface athletic fields.
Cost-Effective
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Natural turf fields require approximately:
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70,000 gallons of irrigation water/week,
15-20 lbs of fertilizer/year per 1,000 sq. ft. of turf,
Plus the regular application of herbicides & pesticides.
 The average natural grass field costs up $50,000/year to properly
maintain. A synthetic grass field averages less than $5,000/year to
maintain.
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Synthetic turf fields are typically warranted for about 3,000 hours
of play per year - with no "rest" required.
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Synthetic turf fields are a consistent, available venue that provides
a reliable source of rental revenue for schools and community-use
agencies.
 The average life-span of a synthetic turf surface is between 10 and
12 years.
“But, artificial surfaces…
…are dangerously hot in the summer months.”
FACT
A synthetic surface (vs. natural grass) will minimally
retain the heat during the hotter hours
of the summer days (i.e. 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm), but…
Synthetic surfaces can be watered down to create a
cooler playing surface during this time frame.
“But, artificial surfaces…
…retain the MRSA staph virus.”
FACT
Studies have shown that synthetic surfaces
do not retain staph or other microbial bacteria.
It is proven that other surfaces found in athletic facilities
do carry staph and other microbial bacteria
(i.e. locker rooms, towels, training rooms, benches, etc.)
Bad hygiene and improper cleaning methods are the prime
factors in the transfer of microbial bacteria.
“But artificial surfaces…
…contain toxic chemicals in the rubber?”
FACT
The human body is unable to digest the rubber material
contained in the infill. Any ingested rubber will pass
right through the human digestive system.
Highway and air transportation, heating, and cooking
represent the largest amount of PAHs in the air – not
the ground rubber found in synthetic turf infill.
“There are way more injuries on turf!”
A 5-year study showed that synthetic turf resulted in:
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55% fewer Neural injuries
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47% fewer Cranial Cervical injuries
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45% less time lost to long-term injuries (22+ days)
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38% fewer serious injuries
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35% less time lost to short-term injuries (1-2 days)
This opportunity for RM is…
“More Than Just
A Field!