East Side Sports Complex Gets Artificial Turf

“Game called on account of rain” is one phrase you probably will hear a little less often at the East Side Sports Complex, 3565 Legacy Blvd.

The St. Charles Park District has installed artificial turf on three of the four ballfields at the East Side Sports Complex, which serves as the home field for the St. Charles Boys’ Baseball Association. The association proposed the installation of artifical turf in 2010.

In a release issued Friday,  the St. Charles Park District said the synthetic turf will allow players to compete “even if St. Charles has just come through a monsoon.”

That’s because play can resume on artificial turf within minutes after the rain stops, unlike natural grass.

The Park District said the new playing surface has two layers that serve to like a drain beneath the entire field. The turf is made of polyethylene, which looks and feels like grass. The use of an infill that is a mix of sand and rubber offers cushioning, stability and safety. According to the Park District, the same surface is used at seven NFL stadiums and at major sports arenas around the world.

“If you didn’t know any better, you would walk up and think it’s a regular baseball field — but it’s not,” Park District Superintendent of Parks and Planning Laura Rudow said.

The Park District installed the turf on one of its East Side Sports Complex ballfields after the St. Charles Boys’ Baseball Association pitched its proposal in 2010, and according to the release, , “the response was overwhelmingly positive.” That convinced the Park District to install the artificial turf on two more ballfields, which was completed this spring.

The St. Charles Park District is among only a few districts in northern Illinois to have it and is marketing it to draw  tournament play from around the state every weekend, the release states.

For organizers, the release states, it’s a dream to be able to commit to a schedule a year in advance without worry about the potential for for having to sit for hours in their vehicles waiting for a field to dry after passing spring and summer showers.  For the Park District and the St. Charles Boys’ Baseball Association, it’s an opportunity to put money in their coffers —  tournaments draw 24 to 30 teams per weekend, each one paying an entry fee.

“This is also good for area businesses,” Rudow said. “Not all visiting teams may need to stay in St. Charles hotels, but they’ll be patronizing other businesses like restaurants and gas stations.”