Heritage’s continues to fight for turf!

[Elias287]

So if you’re not aware, basically, the Blount County Commission gave another high school in the county (Eagleton) money for turf but not Heritage, and they completely swept them under the rug when questioned why and never batted an eye at Heritage.The coaches and families have been working hard for their kids and their players, and their future efforts will continue for something that shouldn’t even be a thing.

 

If you live anywhere near or abroad, please come out to support Heritage in their efforts and get them what they deserve. Stand up for the kids and a community that has given so much just to be left in the dust! 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Elias287

[strongx]

The fake grass is pretty, but if you want to support the kids, keep the natural grass. Way to many knee injuries on the fake stuff to justify the aesthetics IMO. Just because the other schools are jumping off a bridge…

Use the $1M (every 10 yrs or so) to expand a coaching staff with guys that parents are willing to move their kids for. 

[blazer1set]

3 hours ago, strongx said:

The fake grass is pretty, but if you want to support the kids, keep the natural grass. Way to many knee injuries on the fake stuff to justify the aesthetics IMO. Just because the other schools are jumping off a bridge…

Use the $1M (every 10 yrs or so) to expand a coaching staff with guys that parents are willing to move their kids for. 

Daniel Boone got turf put down last year and it didn't make any differe.... oh wait, we went 10-0 for the first time in school history.                LOL, just kidding bro, we really did go 10-0 but it had NOTHING to do with artificial turf, in fact we had a lot of knee injuries last year as well.     I don't know the actual stats but my gut tells me that turf is prettier but grass is better.

[BarneySox2007]

Blount County Commision should be known as Indian Givers. They'll probaly settle for having Earl Scheib to come out and paint the field for $99.

[FarmTeam]

On 6/18/2023 at 10:05 PM, Elias287 said:

So if you’re not aware, basically, the Blount County Commission gave another high school in the county (Eagleton) money for turf but not Heritage, and they completely swept them under the rug when questioned why and never batted an eye at Heritage.The coaches and families have been working hard for their kids and their players, and their future efforts will continue for something that shouldn’t even be a thing.

 

If you live anywhere near or abroad, please come out to support Heritage in their efforts and get them what they deserve. Stand up for the kids and a community that has given so much just to be left in the dust! 

CORRECTION:

The Blount County Commission actually DID approve the funding for turf on BOTH HHS and WBHS fields way back LAST year, on 18 August 2022. The minutes of that board meeting can be found here:   https://blounttn.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=M&ID=917199&GUID=06358B44-9668-4B75-9956-C8C490347EE9 (refer to Item F,1 / Resolution 22-08-001 on p. 4). It PASSED with a vote of 12 yes, 7 no, and 2 commissioners were absent. Unfortunately, the project was STALLED AND COMPLETELY OBSTRUCTED for several MONTHS by a bunch of red tape and manufactured legal nonsense related to the bidding process, which was ridiculous and entirely BOGUS (either our purchasing dept was entirely inept, or there was dirty political maneuvers by persons behind the scenes with influence and power to manipulate & control the purchasing dept, or a combo of both.) After the vote to move forward by the commission in August '22, the plan was to start the installation in Nov, as soon as football season was over. The project should have been finished by track season and graduation (which takes place at the stadium). Again, this did NOT HAPPEN, much to everyone's frustration. By April, it was painfully clear that the project would not begin, much less be finished before the end of this fiscal year (June 30). 

So that means, the ENTIRE PROCESS HAS TO START OVER, to be done in the NEW fiscal (starting July 1,2023). That began tonight, with

1) the school board's approval to allocate the funds from their budget again. All voted yes except for 2 of them: Fred Goins abstained (with no apparent conflict of interest, so why he didn't vote one way or another is beyond me; IMO we elect ppl to VOTE, so have the cahones to do so one way or another!) and Erica Moore who voted no. She is newly elected and was not on the board back in Aug '22. 2) Next, it will move on to the county BUDGET committee mtg (July 11). They will vote whether to recommend to county commission or not. Regardless, it will still 3) move on to the county commission (UGH! AGAIN!) and they will have to debate it in their workshop mtg (July 11) and vote to/not to put it on their actual board mtg agenda. If it makes it on the formal board agenda, THEN 4) they will vote on it (AGAIN!) during the July 20 board of commission mtg. 

This has been like a bad rendition of the movie, Groundhog Day. The county commission did not favor Eagleton over HHS. (At least the majority of them did not when they voted on it back in Aug '22). It is unclear as to who all is rightfully accountable for this asinine debacle, but I guarantee it was by design. Perhaps if everyone pays attention to who in county government historically nitpicks and attempts to obstruct every dang dollar the county school system spends trying to improve programs, teacher pay, athletics and academics, etc...but pretty much rubber stamps anything certain other depts ask to spend, then ya'll will figure out who the likely culprit is. 

Another major point for clarification: The school system is NOT/never was asking the county commission to "give" them any money. They are simply asking to spend their OWN dang money. (Required process, by state law.) 

Bottom line, HHS and WBHS should be playing their first home game on Hellas' patented Matrix turf (same top of the line stuff Eagleton has), but thanks to those who swing a big stick in county govt and our community who are not for schools (and do a good job of hiding it and obstructing behind the scenes), here we are almost a year later, and we are back to DAY ONE.  

BTW, the same players recently maneuvered to rob the schools of ten pennies in their budget allocation with recent certified tax rate adjustment. Never in the history of Blount County Schools has this happened. That's going to translate into ~6.5 million dollars. Oh, and by the way, with this delay, now the cost has gone up on the turf, just like everything else has...groceries, gas, price of housing, construction materials, transport of such, etc. Yet, Ms. Moore (the school board member who voted no) had the audacity (stupidity?) to ask why the bid came in higher. YOU CANNOT MAKE THIS CRAP UP!! 

 

[FarmTeam]

20 hours ago, strongx said:

The fake grass is pretty, but if you want to support the kids, keep the natural grass. Way to many knee injuries on the fake stuff to justify the aesthetics IMO. Just because the other schools are jumping off a bridge…

Use the $1M (every 10 yrs or so) to expand a coaching staff with guys that parents are willing to move their kids for. 

I always thought the same thing, until I looked at the latest science & engineering designs on turf. Don't completely disagree w/you, based on old astro & other types of mediocre to sub-par turf. Howevs, the data on more modern turf, engineered w/safety in mind is much better. This is why BCS specifically sought out the Matrix Helix turf, patented & obtained only through Hellas construction. I've read several articles on high schools (one for ex, Christian School in Woodlands, TX) that are now using the Matrix, and both impact and non-impact injuries are no higher than on grass fields. In fact, most who are using this type of turf are now showing a lower incidence of overall injuries, concussions and lower extremity injuries like ACL.  

A recent Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis of the medical literature, conducted on Pub Med data base and published just last month in Science Direct, concluded that since 2007, "The overall incidence of football injuries is lower on artificial turf than on grass. Based on these findings, the risk of injury can't be used as an argument against artificial turf when considering the optimal playing surface for football."  You can find that study  here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589537023001335

Another study found that incidence of injuries specific to the Matrix Helix turf were actually lower than natural grass. https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2015/nfl-injuries-part-i-overall-view

Per an article in the Tennessean (Feb 2023), data released from the NFL for the 2021 season showed there was essentially no difference in incidence of non-contact injuries, regardless of surface. In fact, due to the rate of injuries the TN Titans have sustained on natural grass over the last few years, they're switching to the Matrix Helix design for the 2023 season in Nissan Stadium. AT&T Dallas Cowboys, SoFi, Texas Tech, Jax Jaguars, Dolphins training facility, etc. have already switched to the Matrix turf, to name of few (per Hellas website).

 https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nfl/titans/2023/02/09/tennessee-titans-turf-project-explained-will-it-decrease-injury-rate/69872185007/

Another bonus is - The Matrix turf is also considerably cooler than traditional turf. Typically 20-40 degrees cooler, depending on the type of infill chosen for the project. 

So I don't think it is just about "keeping up w/the Joneses" & jumping off that bridge, or mere aesthetics. It has to do w/maximizing use of a resource for multiple purposes, year around use, ease of maintenance, and so on. And now that we know that injuries are no worse on this type of turf than grass, and is in to some degree arguably safer all-around, it's a no-brainer.

Also totally agree on the investment in coaching, but HHS has already done that. As you well know, there was a complete change and overhaul in coaching staff last year. (And another new hire this spring.) Last season's record was evidence of considerable improvement in the program, with that staff in place for less than 3-5 months before the first game. Say what you want about "F-ing Hairitage" and Oz, but he has invested big in those kids and that community. I know several of the players, and they have nothing but good things to say, are  learning a TON, have made big gains in the wt room, etc. There are several talented athletes who have elected to stay there that probably otherwise would have transferred to MHS or AHS. 

Oz def had some BIG adjustments to make and it sounds like he's worked hard to do that. Huge transition from major cultural difference in coaching 20-22 year old men in JUCO, D1/SEC Power 5 environment (not to mention his NY background) to never having stepped foot in a high school and then coaching 15-18 year old boys in an E TN Bible Belt rural Appalachian community. Instead of Dorothy waking up in Oz surrounded by flying monkeys and munchkins, Oz woke up in Kansas, I mean Walland/Townsend! LOL! (About the same difference.) Fortunately the community and the leadership coached HIM up, extended some grace, and invested right back in him and his staff. Seems to be going well. Based on anecdotes I hear from the HHS community, the kids love him, his staff and they love the kids right back. And he expects a heck of A LOT! Inside the football classroom, the regular classroom, and on the field. Turf or otherwise! Looking forward to see what they look like this year. 

[strongx]

Good info right there FT! As much as the pro players are paid and as much money as NFL teams have, I would expect them all to be on fake stuff soon if it is safer - even schools like UT for that matter. My data is limited to the 8 years of experience locally and discussions with Knox trainers about injury rates. Maybe the Matrix is better. That would be great.

[theawesomebro]

no idea about the injuries but it is true that being able to use it year round is a game changer.  not only for the school but the community.  we went from no one touches the field except on game day to everyone and their mom trains on it, hosts events on it, plays on it.  LA hosts all kinds of youth leagues, special olympics, other high schools, colleges and even tight end university for NFL players.  I think that kind of environment builds a good culture and community.

[FarmTeam]

1 hour ago, theawesomebro said:

no idea about the injuries but it is true that being able to use it year round is a game changer.  not only for the school but the community.  we went from no one touches the field except on game day to everyone and their mom trains on it, hosts events on it, plays on it.  LA hosts all kinds of youth leagues, special olympics, other high schools, colleges and even tight end university for NFL players.  I think that kind of environment builds a good culture and community.

Yes, exactly! The idea is to extend more field usage to the band, lacrosse, and soccer teams to name a few. Turf will accommodate such traffic & stand up to the use. HHS has a grass soccer field that recently got lights (that was a fight), so that opens up more possibilities for use as well. For years, HHS has traditionally been the host site for the Blount Co Special Olympics, which has had to be rescheduled numerous x due to weather. To reschedule that big of an event is a nightmare, lots of dominoes fall & impact other things already scheduled, etc. Makes any sort of major event planning a total crap shoot. HHS has quietly managed/accomplished a lot & made do w/a little, facility wise, well past the point of most schools in TN.

In addition to fostering that sense of community w/hosting events like that, it also brings up the possibility of increased potential revenues for the school, in being able to host various events - band competitions, etc. 

Hoping we see the all the data I found on injuries ring true in real play, once installed next yr. 

[Solomon]

Any update from the meeting?

[BarneySox2007]

Great info Farm Team and hope there is a big turn out this evening in support of moving forward with these new fields which are badly needed. It's no secrect in Blount County who's gets their bread buttered first and all the peasants get the end pieces of the loaf. In reality every county in Tennessee has it's good ole boy system set up and it's very hard for anyone to go against it. These kids deserve only the best and it's high time our elected leaders make this happen. Kicking the can down the road was a terrible mistake in a time where inflation is at an all time high. I knew when that science wing at Eagleton came first what would happen next. Hope for a big turn out this evening.

[FarmTeam]

1 hour ago, Solomon said:

Any update from the meeting?

The school board passed it last night. One no vote and one abstained. Goes to budget Cmte next, then commission workshop, then hopefully makes it on the commission agenda in July.