A wealth of sporting opportunity awaits Midlands schools and clubs since the transformation of two redundant hockey pitches.
Sports contractor SIS Pitches signed off the synthetic surfaces this autumn, following an extensive upgrade project at Coventry School Foundation that saw the original 20-year-old compacted artificial grass replaced with Pro Hockey 18mm mono sand-dressed synthetic carpet and the drainage system replaced and the base upgraded.
The existing sand-filled pitches were in a state unfit for sport and desperately needed attention, reports Coventry Schools Foundation Bursar Michael Shaw.
“The pitches were really showing their age and prone to flooding, so addressing the issue was one of my priorities when I came into post three years ago.
“The senior school in particular was being deprived of sporting opportunities and we are committed to giving all five schools in the Foundation the best possible facilities,” he adds.
After studying several options and discussing the issue with SIS Pitches Sales Director Stephen Spaven, whom he had met at a bursars’ conference, Shaw put the upgrade project out to tender.
“SIS won the work because I was impressed with their deep technical knowledge and experience of installing sports pitches,” he explains. “They explored the problems on the surface and underground, then came up with a solution that has enabled us to expand the scale of sporting provision here for our schools and the local community. Most important of all, our PT staff were fully on side and were involved with the project from the start.”
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In the region, SIS Pitches have also installed a multi-use synthetic surface at Kenilworth School and Sports College, a 3G synthetic pitch at Bedworth Football Club, and a full-size Soccer Pro 50 pitch at Derby County FC’s Moor Farm training ground.