Gem City of Toronto adds to its gems
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TORONTO -- Toronto has been known in athletic circles around the state for its rich sports tradition, especially in baseball.
Now, the Gem City can add its athletic fields to the list of things that put the town "on the map."
A multi-phased, roughly $317,000 project, funded by a renewal of a capital improvements levy, capped what has been years of improvements to the Knights Baseball Complex.
"Every time you drove by and saw a new piece of turf laid down, you couldn't help but smile knowing that this was going to be one of the new gems in the Gem City. There is a ton of enthusiasm, and there is a ton of pride in the new field," said Jay Foster, a member of the Toronto School Board for the past 12 years who serves on the athletic committee. "It's another upgrade to an already fantastic facility. The upgrades to it started in 1996.
"Our baseball program has put Toronto on the map. It started back in 1998 when we won our first state championship, in '99 we won a Legion championship and most recently, the 2019 state championship. For the greater part of the last 20-plus years, teams are accustomed to seeing our name. It's awesome to see the feedback that our facility goes hand-in-hand with our reputation," Foster said.
"Now we have one of the top facilities in the state right here in little old Toronto."
The highlight of the project, an artificial turf infield, is accompanied by a new warning track. Previously in the fall of 2019 the dugouts had been re-done to make them, what Foster said, is comparable to that of a minor league stadium. Before that, the fencing was re-done.
"In the back of our mind, we were always kicking around the idea of possibly putting down artificial turf for the infield," Foster said. "We have a levy for capital improvements that comes up for renewal every five years. One of the things we decided to do was upgrade our North End athletic facilities if the levy passed. We're very grateful for the voters. Toronto has always had a lot of support for our levies."
As photos of the completed infield turf began circulating online, remarks began flowing in from across the area and beyond.
"It's very exciting for the Toronto baseball program and the Toronto community," high school baseball head coach Brian Perkins said. "The kids and coaches are ecstatic to get on the field and play. It's beautiful."
For Perkins, the early advantages of the new and improved infield have been seen already before a single pitch has been thrown.
"A lot of times people think the advantage is getting games in, but a big advantage is practice time," he said. "Our kids have been outside on the turf almost every day this spring. We're very fortunate. It's been a benefit to the growth of our players."
Foster noted that the Red Knights already will be ahead of the competition in practice time when the first games are played this season.
"I think they were only inside two days the whole winter and spring once the field was ready," he said. "Even in the snow, they were out on the field practicing, and that would have never happened before. It gave them a lot of opportunities to be outside for practice. A lot of schools around here probably only saw their field a handful of times."
The Red Knights have played on turf surfaces before at various locations in recent years during their tournament runs, including the run to the 2019 Division IV State Championship.
"The last several years we've played on turf in the district tournament and regionals," Perkins said. "It was new to our kids, new to the area, and we were always trying to find a place to practice on turf. Having the turf infield now, we'll be accustomed to it.
"We'd love to be able to host tournaments, and I know the city would be excited for that as well."
Foster said that as the project took shape in recent months, it created a buzz in the community.
"We've had fans who have been coming to games for more than 20 years because they love Toronto," Foster said. "They feel like this field is a big part of their town. People would stop and take pictures and get excited every time there was more progress on the field."
Both noted that the project not only helps the Red Knights, but also will go a long way in advancing the youth and Legion programs in Toronto, continuing the city's baseball tradition.
"Our Pony League teams have been practicing on it, it's going to help our summer league programs, summer teams, it's going to benefit a lot of kids throughout Toronto," Perkins said.
The improvements are not stopping there. In fact, big things are coming just a brief walk away from home plate to Clarke Hinkle Field inside Red Knight Stadium.
"We're really excited about that project," Foster said. "It's going to be awesome for the football program, it's going to be awesome for football camps over the summer and in the off season.
Thursday evening, the school board approved AstroTurf Corp. of Georgia, the same company that completed the work on the baseball field project, as the contractor for the football field turf project and track replacement.
The artificial turf surface will not only be an upgrade in appearance and functionality, it also will be an improvement for player safety and practice time.
"They're going to be able to practice on the field day in and day out," Foster said. "Before, they would practice on the practice field, and the grass would be gone by late August, September. It's mud when it rains. You can't practice on your playing field because you don't want to mess up the grass.
"It's going to cut down on injuries. We feel there won't be slipping in the mud and have that risk for injury."
Foster noted that more and more schools across the area are getting such surfaces, making the need in Toronto that much more important. It also would allow the facility to be a potential playoff host beyond the first round of the post season.
"It's a growing trend right now," he said. "You're no longer going to have to go somewhere else to play on turf. Before, I think the kids would look forward to paying Catholic Central away to play on the turf at Harding Stadium.
"Edison completed their new field, Big Red just got new turf, Indian Creek got new turf two years ago, Harrison Central has turf, Martins Ferry has new turf, Weir High has it. We're happy that we're able to provide first-class facilities."
Like the baseball field, the improvements to the football field's surface will not only benefit the high school program, but the youth programs, potentially enticing more young athletes to come out and play.
"It's certainly attractive for the younger kids, and that's where you grow your program is in youth football," Foster said. "The young kids are going to see our facilities, and they are going to make it one of their goals to get to play on these nice fields.
"The Toronto Titans are going to benefit."
The project is set to be wrapped up just prior to the start of the 2021 football season this fall.
Also a part of the project are new bleachers on the visitor side of the field and a new track and field track behind the away side of the stadium where the current football practice field is.
The track won't be completed until this fall. The cost of the field turf and the track is roughly $1.5 million.
Foster also pointed out that the new projects are on top of other projects completed in the district in the last decade.
"We have the brand new junior and senior high school, we have the new elementary wing where our junior high basketball is played, we have two brand new gymnasiums that are beautiful," Foster said. "Now we're going to a great football facility, our baseball field is second to none, our softball field can't be overlooked.
"We have a beautiful Little League field. We're doing our best to make all of the facilities first class."