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Extending Use of THS Athletic Field
Extending Use of THS Athletic Field
Attention for Field Space and Courts, New Track
Attention for Field Space and Courts, New Track
At the High School, the proposal calls for attention focused on field space that see heavy student use, as well as the addition of a track. These improvements are designed to expand the use of playing space – even after rain storms – and to make it easier for Borough recreation teams and community members to use Tenafly Public Schools (TPS) facilities.
More than 700 – about 63% – of Tenafly High School students use its fields and courts as members of sports teams and the marching band. About 22% of Middle School students use the district’s athletic facilities, and that does not include the athletes of recreation and travel leagues outside of TMS programming.
The impact of rain is felt by multiple students and the Borough’s recreation teams.
There are no alternative fields when a THS baseball or softball game is canceled; they are the only fields in Tenafly that meet regulations.
Cancellations cause a ripple effect in the sports schedule, with the most notable impact falling on Middle School and recreational teams.
In the Fall 2023 season: 75% of underclassman boys/girls soccer games were played on fields other than the main JV field due to unplayable conditions and/or a lack of space. Those games could shift to a new, multi-sport turf field rather than bumping rec-league teams off the Municipal Field.
In the Spring 2022 season: More than half the varsity baseball home games and about half of varsity softball home games were postponed due to inclement weather.
Voter approval on Sept. 17 would lead to:
a new multi-sport, synthetic turf field behind the High School to be shared by sports teams, creating a versatile playing space for baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse
reduced mowing and striping maintenance for that permanently marked turf field, with the use of temporary fences to mark the home-run line of the playing field
relocation of existing tennis courts to the rear of the Middle School, clearing their existing location for that new turf field
a new four-lane track with a fence to meet the demand that the Geissinger Complex track cannot entirely serve and expand availability for the community
new scoreboards, facility fencing, lighting, dugouts and a storage building
fully accessible restroom facilities for public use
Adding a multi-sport field and lights would create a more flood-resistant playing area and expand the hours per day that students could use them.
For baseball: Synthetic turf would eliminate most cancellations, which would stabilize the High School schedule that interacts with the schedules of seventh and eighth grades. Adding field lights would allow for practices following THS games.
For lacrosse and soccer: Recreation league players cannot begin practice on the current fields until the varsity teams walk off – as late as 8 p.m. five days a week.
Community Benefits
Lighting a multi-sport, turf field would relieve pressure on the Municipal Field, adding 8 to 10 hours of recreational-league use during the week and potentially 20 hours on weekends.
In addition, that new field would benefit the Borough Recreation Department’s summertime program called Recky’s Tiger Camp. Sessions take place in the High School, but slow-draining grass fields prevent children from using them after rain. A turf field would drain more quickly and children could play there right after the raindrops stop.
Tennis courts currently at the High School would be moved behind the Middle School to accommodate the new turf field.
A Fieldhouse Designed for Modern Needs
A Fieldhouse Designed for Modern Needs
Original Was Built for Fewer Teams, Only Males
Original Was Built for Fewer Teams, Only Males
The Geissinger Athletic Complex is heavily used by student-athletes whose days last long beyond dismissal; who push themselves mentally and physically; and who put so-called “soft skills” to work through team interaction, self-discipline, leadership and time management.
More than 400 male and female students use the Geissinger Fieldhouse – but the facilities were designed for much lighter use and by males only. In the past 50 years, use of that facility has expanded significantly. It is used not only by the boys football team, but also by the boys and girls teams for soccer, cross country running, lacrosse, winter track, and spring track and field.
Despite the growth in use and the passage of time, there has been no significant renovation. What has stayed the same:
only restrooms designed for males
dual-gender locker rooms separated by a single door, creating angst, especially for female athletes
poor sightlines for supervision
emergency exit door located within a restroom
no gender-specific changing facilities for almost 30 coaches, one-third of them female
trainer space that has not expanded to meet the number of athletes or modern techniques and equipment
In comparison, three frequent Tenafly opponents have upgraded their high school athletic facilities since 2017: Westwood Regional High School, Ramsey High School and Glen Ridge High School. In addition to restrooms and locker areas that separate genders, each one has a team room and concession area like Tenafly’s bond referendum proposes.
A New Fieldhouse for Today's Standards
A New Fieldhouse for Today's Standards
Voter approval would build a new, multi-use facility near the Jefferson Avenue/Virginia Street intersection and the site of the current Tiger Snack Shack.
A modern Geissinger Fieldhouse would have:
A 470-square-foot concession stand facing the field, with a canopy extending from the building to cover customers in inclement weather.
One single-stall restroom with an exterior door facing the field for use by spectators.
Two locker rooms for males, separated by a restroom designed for them with urinals and toilet stalls. One room would have about 40 lockers, and one would have about 80.
Two locker rooms for females, separated by a restroom designed for them with stalls. One room would have about 40 lockers and one would have about 80.
One all-gender locker room and restroom for use by athletes.
Lining the hallway in between those locker rooms could be display cases to celebrate the history of the Tenafly Tigers.
A small office to be shared by coaches, and two separate locker rooms for gender-specific use.
One single-stall faculty restroom.
A 500-square-foot room for the Athletic Trainer. In the current Fieldhouse, that room measures about 200 square feet. This space is where the Athletic Trainer might tape an athlete’s ankle for added support before a game; conduct concussion testing; and help a player stretch to prevent injury or rehabilitate.
A team room with as many as 40 seats and shared tables. Reviewing plays, sharing team-wide information, and forecasting a tough game all could take place in a team room. So could instruction for some of the physical education courses. As it is now these sessions have to take place in High School classrooms, far from the complex.
A storage room for equipment, a necessity as sports evolve to include more athletes, more teams, more pads and more training devices.
Those important improvements would come with other benefits of a building designed and constructed in the 2020s, such as:
accessible restrooms with the space and furnishings to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
up-to-date security, plumbing, electrical and technological systems
efficient heating and cooling systems, whereas the cinderblock walls of the current Fieldhouse barely keep the chill tolerable
Visitors see the current Fieldhouse as they enter the athletic complex, where old storage sheds and maintenance trucks make a first impression. Opponents suit up in the Fieldhouse, where tile floor squares have popped out and a door’s bottom is rotted enough to let field mice enter.
Relocating/ Renovating Other Parts of this Complex
Relocating/ Renovating Other Parts of this Complex
Public restrooms would be added to the current fieldhouse for spectator and visitor use. Existing options are poor.
Further renovations would turn the current Fieldhouse into a maintenance building to house the equipment and supplies currently stored outside.
The six-lane running track used by students, athletes and community members would be resurfaced. It is cracked in many places and puddles form in multiple pits.
These improvements would benefit the students and residents of Tenafly for years to come.
The weather-worn track at Geissinger Fieldhouse has patchy color, surface cracks and depressions that collect rainwater.
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