REPORT OF
THE WINDHAM SCHOOL BOARD
ATHLETIC COMMITTEE
September 4, 2007
Al Letizio, Jr. – Chairman
Mike Abruzese
Mark Cherbonneau
Michael Hatem
Becky Kendzulak
John Larochelle
Bill Maczko
Jane Matthews
Chris O'Neil
Jerry Sipes
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Background
The Windham High School Athletic Committee was formed for the purpose of
providing research-based guidance for the development of the new Windham High
School Athletic Program. In November 2005, the athletic committee, comprised of
volunteers with a variety of areas of expertise in athletics, began its research. The
committee utilized community input, visited multiple area schools, listened to
presentations by several individuals in the field of athletics, and discussed its findings.
This report represents the conclusions arrived at by the committee. It is intended
to be a framework for the Windham School Board in its development of the WHS
athletics program and to identify facilities necessary to support athletics at WHS.
The committee does not believe that the current Windham High School athletic facilities
and fields are adequate to meet the needs and expectations of the community. The
committee has prepared a series of 3 recommendations that would bring Windham High
School’s Athletic Facility and Fields Offerings from where they are today (as approved
by Windham Voters in the spring of 2007) to what we have defined as a level necessary
to support athletics at Windham High School. The committee’s recommendations are
designed to offer the Windham School Board a basis for adopting a “Vision” of a
Completed Windham High School from an athletic infrastructure standpoint.
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Recommendation of Sports to be Offered at WHS
The athletic committee arrived at its list of recommended athletic programs by analyzing
the following: 1.Input from the community 2. The current offerings at Salem High 3.The
offerings of area schools comparable in size to Windham., including Bow, Campbell, and
Pelham. 4. The number of Windham athletes currently competing at Salem High, the
middle school, and town programs was also considered. 5. Information acquired at
presentations by area specialists in the field of athletics. Title IX requirements were
followed in providing equal opportunities for girls and boys.
The following is a list of the recommended programs and rationale for each. They are
listed by season.
Fall
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Boys and Girls Cross Country
There are a significant number of boys and girls competing in cross
country at Salem. Windham middle school also has a thriving cross
country program. It is an inexpensive sport to support, and trails for
practice and competition will be on-site.
Girls Field Hockey (Varsity and JV)
Field hockey has been a very important sport for the female athletes of
Windham. The middle school program has done consistently well. At
Salem, 13 girls from the NH state championship team are from Windham.
The JV team has 9 girls. To not include this sport would be a disservice to
a distinguished group of female athletes.
Boys Football (Varsity and JV)
There are a number of Windham athletes on the Salem football team and
also in the Pelham Razorbacks league. The one-year old flag football
league is growing each year.
Boys and Girls Golf
44% of the golf team at Salem is from Windham. The athletes would play
off-site.
Boys and Girls Soccer (Varsity, JV, and Freshman)
Both the boys and girls teams at Salem have large numbers of Windham
athletes. The recreation and travel programs are growing every year.
Soccer is the most played fall sport in Windham.
Girls Spirit (Varsity and JV)
Many Windham girls participate in the Pelham Razorbacks cheering
program. 29% of the Salem team is from Windham.
Boys and Girls Volleyball (Varsity and JV)
40% of the Salem girls team is from Windham. These teams would
practice in the gym, therefore no additional scheduling conflicts would
arise regarding field space.
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Winter
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Boys and Girls Basketball (Varsity, JV, and Freshmen)
Basketball is a major sport in Windham as is evident in the large numbers
enrolled in the travel and recreation programs. Windham is also well
represented in the Salem boys and girls basketball teams.
Boys and Girls Gymnastics
The boys’ team is made up almost solely of Windham athletes.
Boys Hockey (Varsity and JV)
24% of the Salem team is from Windham. The teams would play off-site.
Girls Spirit (Varsity and JV)
See fall spirit.
Boys and Girls Swimming
High percentages of both the Salem boys and girls swim teams are
composed of Windham athletes. The teams would swim off-site.
Boys and Girls Indoor Track
Track is a program which gives athletes who normally might not have the
opportunity the chance to participate. Large numbers can be
accommodated on these teams, so many are given the chance to compete
at the high school level.
Boys Wrestling
This sport is offered at Salem and at many of the schools comparable to
Windham. It is a relatively inexpensive sport, and it offers an alternative
choice for students to participate in. Many colleges are currently offering
more scholarship funds to competitive wrestlers.
Spring
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Boys Baseball (Varsity, JV, and Freshman)
Baseball and softball together are the largest recreation sports in
Windham. 31% of the Salem teams are comprised of Windham athletes.
Girls Softball (Varsity, JV, and Freshman)
The Windham Middle School softball team were the NH state champions.
A significant number of Windham athletes continue on to compete at the
high school level.
Boys and Girls Lacrosse (Varsity and JV)
Both the boys and girls teams at Salem are comprised of more than 50%
Windham athletes. The recreation program was just started and continues
to grow.
Boys and Girls Tennis (Varsity and JV)
Both Salem boys and girls teams have high percentages of Windham
athletes. The teams would use the Griffin Park tennis courts.
Boys and Girls Spring Track
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As with indoor track this sport will give many students the opportunity to
compete in high school athletics. Outdoor track is already a popular sport
at the middle school with approximately 90 participants.
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Recommendations
RECCOMENDATION #1 : THE WINDHAM SCHOOL BOARD ATHLETIC
COMMITTEE RECCOMENDS THAT WINDHAM HIGH SCHOOL BE
EQUIPPED WITH AN ADDITIONAL BASEBALL FIELD AND AN
ADDITIONAL SOFTBALL FIELD FOR A TOTAL OF 2 FOR EACH SPORT.
The committee endorses the creation of two (2) baseball/softball diamonds. This
is an addition of one (1) softball and one (1) baseball field to the current approved plan.
If approved, there would be two (2) 90’ baseball diamonds and two (2) 60’ softball
diamonds. The committee believes that in order to provide a Junior Varsity and Varsity
team in these sports, two (2) fields are required.
Windham’s most successful youth sports program is the WBSL. In the 2007
season, 900 children played baseball or softball in the recreational level. These athletes
continue playing at the Middle School level were the girls’ softball team defended its
State Championship. The baseball team also had a successful season and both teams had
to cut players who tried out for the team.
At the High School level, there will be a demand for a Junior Varsity and Varsity
team in both sports and the historic numbers will support the creation of two (2) teams.
The committee believes a Junior Varsity team is important for several reasons; first, it
provides increased support for the Varsity team; second, it allows an additional team of
players to obtain valuable experience with high school sports that would otherwise be
denied; and third, it provides a feeder program for the Varsity team that would otherwise
be lacking.
It will not be possible to have a Junior Varsity team in these sports without the
additional fields. The time commitments both for practice time and game time require
additional fields. Weather, darkness and schedules will make back-to-back practices
impossible for two teams to share one field. Without a second field, a Junior Varsity
team would find it very difficult to obtain adequate practice time. Games further
complicate this as the NHIAA has the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams travel together,
and play concurrent games. As a baseball game usually lasts 2.5-3 hours, back-to-back
games are not possible.
In addition to allowing for the Junior Varsity team, the field will also provide
significant services to the town. Even without the high school, these fields are needed for
youth sports in town right now. In 2007, there were not enough ball fields for the
demand of the players using them. It is anticipated we will need one (1) more baseball
and one (1) more softball field in town in the coming year. There is also a large demand
for an adult softball league. However, there is no field in town which provides an
adequate single softball field to allow this to happen. These fields will solve a problem
that the town currently faces.
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Finally, the committee supports the creation of two (2) diamonds per for sport to
deliver what was promised. Throughout this process, the students have been promised a
school that provides every educational and athletic opportunity they received in the past.
In order to fulfill that promise, Junior Varsity baseball and softball should be offered.
Given the limited costs of adding these fields, we will be providing something substantial
for a few pennies more.
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RECCOMENDATION # 2: THE WINDHAM SCHOOL BOARD ATHLETIC
COMMITTEE RECCOMENDS THAT WINDHAM HIGH SCHOOL BE
EQUIPPED WITH A STADIUM, CONTAINING A TRACK, AND
MULTIPURPOSE ARTIFICIAL TURF PLAYING FIELD.
The athletic committee strongly feels that an artificial turf field is the only way to
support the athletic programs at Windham High School along with physical education
and other extracurricular activities. Without a turf field where you can play and practice
multiple sports a football team, and possibly boys and girls lacrosse in the spring will not
be able to be offered. Having a field turf field would allow you to play and practice
soccer, football, field hockey, and lacrosse.
You can not practice and play football on the same natural grass field. After two
weeks the field will be reduced to nothing but dirt. The same problem would exist in
soccer. Then in the spring you would not be able to get on that field or the soccer field to
play lacrosse as it would need that spring time to recover after re-sodding. The cost for
this to get the natural grass field back in shape to play is astronomical. It can not be
stressed enough that with an unsurpassed life expectancy of 15 years, depending on usage
patterns, the turf field surface can stand up to continual use from athletes whose cleats
would tear away a real grass field.
Some preliminary cost analysis numbers over a 10 year period given to us by a
field turf installation company are as follows:
Base : Excavation, preparation, engineering, $160,000 for both
Materials: Sod $220,000.00 Field Turf $360,000.00
Maintenance: herbicides, pesticides, re-sodding, watering, mowing sod field
$52,500.00 x 10 years = $525,000.00
Field Turf: $5,000.00 x 10 years = $50,000.00
Total Cost for 10 years. Sod= 905,000.00 Field Turf= $570,000.00
Scheduling possibilities: Sod : 70 hrs x 26 weeks x 10 years= 18,200
Turf 100hrs x 44 weeks x 10 years= 44,000
Average cost per hour of use: Natural grass field= $49.72
Field turf Field= $12.95
Now these numbers are not exact, but certainly give an idea that over a short 10
year time the cost of the natural grass field surpasses the initial cost of the turf field.
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Also, it may be noted that these figures would double for us on the natural grass field as
we will have two fields that will need all the above maintenance etc.
Some other positive attributes of the field turf field are:
- Quantitative savings on laundering and replacement of team uniforms.
- Savings on insurance deductibles
- Ability to host an unlimited amount of community activities, like youth soccer
and football tournaments.
- The potential for revenue generation from holding play-off and championship
games at our site.
- Field can be used earlier in the season, and is not effected by rain.
Along with this field turf field a place for the spectators to sit is a must. Some
quotes for bleachers/stands range from $190.00 dollars a seat to $109,800 for a 1,200 seat
capacity. Most of the companies agree that a reasonable capacity for the size of the
school is about 1,200 seats.
The athletic committee also supports a Track around the Field Turf Field. Track
and Field is a popular sport. At the middle school now we get 80-90 athletes
participating in Track and Field every year. It is a sport that everyone can get involved
with and feel that sense of being a part of a team. You don’t have to be an elite athlete.
Most of Track and Field is competing, and always shooting for your personal best. It is
very hard to run a varsity Track program with no track. You never get a chance to
practice on an actual track, so you never get a chance to work on your qualifying times.
The field events such as long jump, high jump are very hard to practice with no pits. You
always have to travel to away meets; therefore, busing becomes expensive. In addition
the town would benefit from being able to use the track for their track workouts.
Younger children would be able to get involved with a healthy lifestyle as track clubs
would be able to use it. Physical Education classes could use it as well as a place for the
middle school to have some home meets, and get a chance themselves from time to time
to practice on a real track. Some quotes from companies, and surveying some other
schools that have installed tracks the cost would be $250,000 to $300,000 dollars. That
would include everything. To put a fence around the track add in another $21,000 and to
excavate and put down 6-8” of stone first add in approximately $20,000 dollars.
Finally in order for the field to be able to be used to its greatest potential the
athletic committee supports lights being installed. This would allow the field to be used
longer for practices and games. The greatest demand on the field is in the fall when the
natural lighting reduces the time the field can be used. At Manchester West High School
for example with their lights they are able to have 3 Varsity sports play on the same field
on the same day. They typically run Varsity Field Hockey game at 4:00p.m. A Varsity
Soccer game at 5:30p.m., and then a Varsity Football game at 7:30p.m. Having lights
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also would allow potentially more time for the town to use the field at night. Finally
having lights and the ability to hold games at night would allow more time for family
members to come and watch their children participate. Estimated cost of installing lights
is $200,000 dollars.
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RECCOMENDATION # 3: THE WINDHAM SCHOOL BOARD ATHLETIC
COMMITTEE RECCOMENDS THAT WINDHAM HIGH SCHOOL BE
EQUIPPED WITH A SECOND GYMNASIUM
The Athletic committee believes that a second gym (60’ x 100’) would be needed to
support (but not limited to) the following activities:
Wrestling
Gymnastics
Full court basketball
Indoor track field events
Volleyball,
Spirit/cheer practice
Drum-line practice
Color-guard practice
Dance, aerobic fitness
Lacrosse practice
Spring sports practice
PE class
The above list of sports/activities has a tendency to be left without adequate practice
facilities. Often they practice in the cafeteria, hallways or any other open space large
enough to house the activity. By offering a full gym there will be no need to use non
athletic space.
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