There isn’t anything like fresh paint. This year, Mineola High School athletics department is receiving more than just a fresh coat of paint. 

Meredith Memorial Stadium is receiving new turf and a new track, as well as some of that aforementioned new paint.

For those fans who remember when AstroTurf first came onto the scene, they know that the artificial football turf in the early days was little more than a thin layer of carpet laid down on a concrete slab. It had no shock absorption and no “give.”

Technology and innovation have fully caught up with the artificial turf business.  

The turf recently installed in Meredith Memorial Stadium is a proprietary product of Hellas Construction, one of the premier artificial turf manufacturers in the nation. 

Hellas Director of Communications Jeff Power commented, “It is on-time delivery, quality of workmanship and an appreciation for just what a facility like this means to a community, that makes Hellas special.” 

The process in laying down a new turf is surprisingly complex. In Mineola’s case, once the old turf and subsoil were removed, the site received a six inch layer of drain stone. The stone is larger than pea gravel but smaller than septic rock. Its main purpose, Power advised, was to provide vertical drainage of water from the playing surface. 

The structural drainage system underneath the field remains unchanged. 

Acute observers will note that there is no crown on home field. The effectiveness of the drain stone is such that the playing field can be built exactly level. 

After the drain stone is properly settled and pressed, a 19-mm layer of cushioning product, called Cushdrain, is paved into place. The Cushdrain layer is what gives the field “give” and is also a propriety product of Hellas. 

It is a combination of rubber and polyurethane and serves several purposes. In addition to diffusing the shock of impact, it also contributes to turf stability, facilitates proper drainage and is mildew and rot resistant.  

Framing the entire rectangular field installation is a composite lumber into which the 5-yard wide rolls of turf are secured. Power explained that Hellas had until recently used natural lumber, but developed a synthetic composite lumber – all from natural materials – to extend the life of the frame. 

Once the Cushdrain installation is complete, the field is readied for the turf. Matrix Helix Turf, one of a ten specialty turfs produced by Hellas, was selected by Mineola.  

At its most basic level, the individual blades of turf are natural fibers of yarn. The monofilament fibers are shaped, cut and affixed to a backing by infusing the backing with a resin which seals the individual fibers in place. 

A variety of cuts and dimensions have been developed by Hellas to provide the specific characteristics desired for individual sports. For instance, the turf used in baseball and softball fields is shorter in length than the turf used for football. Soccer, as well, tends to use a turf of differing consistency. 

Mineola selected a Matrix Helix turf. The distinctive feature of this turf is the manner in which each blade of turf is twisted. This twisting of the fibers improves resiliency, infill retention, traction and shock absorption. 

The infill is that product which resides between all the blades of turf. Mineola opted for the Ecotherm infill. This specific grade of infill results in a playing surface which is approximately 20% cooler than synthetic black rubber infill which had previously been the industry standard. It also retains its position well when compared to previous infills, thus ensuring field consistency.  

The turf which gets rolled out onto the field is a product of three industrial processes. The backing is produced in Liberty Hill (near Austin), the fibers are made in Dadeville, Ala. and the final turf is created in Chatsworth, Ga. The three facilities are divisions of Hellas Construction.  

The turf is connected in three ways. It is affixed to the frame on each side of the field. Velcro strips secure each five-yard swath to one another, and they are also glued to one another. 

Power noted with pride, “There is no paint on a Hellas field, since we control the entire manufacturing, we can produce fibers in many colors to achieve the required color effects.”

Large color changes are designed into the turf rolls, while some markings of a football field such as hash marks, are cut out and inserted, advised Power.

If anyone watches professional or collegiate football on television, there is a good chance one is looking at a Hellas Field. They claim the Cowboys’ AT&T field as their first major client. Since that time, their business has exploded. 

They are now providing turf installation to a dozen NFL teams and have recently been contracted to install turf for the English Premier League’s Tottenham Hotspur soccer club.

Despite going international, Power advised that providing playing surfaces for K-12 athletes remains the company’s priority.

His travel itinerary from the past week backed that up. In addition to having a trip set to meet with the Houston Texans, Power was at Anadarko, Okla. and at the area schools of S&S Consolidated, Howe, Winnsboro and Mineola. 

The football field is not the only improvement of athletic facilities this summer. Work on the new track, also being done by Hellas, is ongoing. While in the high school gymnasium, basketball and volleyball fans will be pleased with the new look of the gymnasium. 

Mineola Superintendent Cody Mize expressed sincere appreciation for everyone involved in this project. “I am thankful for everyone who was involved in the decision-making process to bring us these upgrades. They will give our student athletes safer, higher quality facilities. Our kids and coaches are very appreciative.”