Mission CISD stadiums sport new turf

The fields at Tom Landry Hall of Fame Stadium and Veterans Memorial Patriot Stadium reached substantial completion last week for the turf installation projects. Both fields received new artificial grass after nearly 10 years. And for the first time since about 2017, Tom Landry stadium has no ongoing or upcoming construction.  

Although the turf on the fields is new, the designs are mostly the same. The coaches at VMHS wanted to keep the exact same motif for the new installation, but Mission High School made slight changes to the end zone artwork to make the lettering stand out. The Pro Football Hall of Fame logo at the 50-yard line honoring hometown legend Tom Landry also remained part of the MHS stadium design. 

Veterans Memorial High School Patriot Stadium

The new turf also comes with updated technology that neither stadium had on their old fields. The original turf from the 2014 installation did not come with padding underneath the grass, but the new fields will have a 14-millimeter G-max shock pad as a second layer between the athletes and the cement below. While most fields with artificial turf have 10 millimeters of padding, Hellas Construction provided thicker padding at no extra cost to the district. 

G-max is the measure of shock absorbency upon impact, and a G-max test determines the hardness of a surface and its ability to absorb kinetic energy from impact. Padding working at optimum level means players on the field feel less impact energy when running or falling. As wear and tear occur over time, the padding becomes compromised, leaving more room for injury to the athletes on the field. 

Mission CISD decided to update the artificial grass because the G-max ratings of the fields were at unsafe levels. But with the improved turf technology, Mission CISD students will have even more shock support than before. 

In addition to providing extra support, the G-max shock pad will also help with water drainage, reducing downtime after heavy rainfall. 

The project cost $1,568,488, and installation went on without complication. Austin-based company Hellas Construction completed all the turf projects for Mission CISD, including the original football field installations and recent baseball and softball field installations. 

The athletes started using the fields at the Tom Landry and Patriot stadiums Jan. 26, and teams can now play all scheduled home games on location. All that remains are a few finishing touches and minor details before the school board can approve final completion at the Feb. 15 board of trustees meeting.