How many turf fields do other towns have?
Many communities similar to Wayland and nearest to Wayland have two or more turf fields to support recreational programs.
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Wayland athletic teams play in the Dual County League with 13 similar sized communities, and Wayland is one of the only towns with just one turf field. In 2019, school start and dismissal times were adjusted later in the day, pushing all High School and Middle School athletics later in the day, sometimes until dark, which displaces youth athletics like soccer, lacrosse and football. The change in schedule has decreased the availability of grass school fields between dismissal time and sunset, and thus creating a need for lighting fields. Lighting grass fields has proved to increase usage beyond what natural grass can withstand.
Wayland is home to many athletic teams, over 1,350 youth recreation players, and over 1,000 adult and senior athletes. The current field inventory does not meet the needs of the users. Many communities with similar field deficits have chosen to add turf fields to their inventory of grass fields because of the advantages turf offers: less annual maintenance, no irrigation, more use throughout the sports seasons, resting of existing grass fields. However, turf fields are more expensive to install initially. Many of the towns listed below have installed new turf fields within the last four years.
