Westlake has seen great success in sports in recent years. Not only has the Varsity Girls Basketball team managed to reach a section final, but we’ve also seen the Varsity Football and Varsity Boys Soccer teams win section 1 titles in the past two years, as well as the Varsity Baseball team also reaching a section final. 

 

However, none of these successes may be the greatest news Westlake athletes have received. After the passing of the bond vote, which occurred in March, 2022, reconstruction has begun on Westlake’s athletic fields. 

 

Before the bond voting was opened, a field plan was released for the fields: 5 new sections to practice and play on, 2 of these sections being highlighted as turf. One of those being the changing of Westlake’s main field, a staple of our Varsity program for a long time. 

The term, “Westlake grass,” was coined by many players and rivals alike, as the drastic change between turf fields and Westlake’s grass would often throw off opponents, and play into Westlake’s hand.

 

Although this field has been important to Westlake’s identity in sports in recent years, it was clear that change was necessary. Many games were unnecessarily moved or canceled due to weather conditions which players would be able to play through on a turf field. Furthermore, the field’s condition would deteriorate over the course of the season, with the grass being hard to properly keep up with when multiple teams played games practically every other day on the field. Not to mention, almost every other school which Westlake plays in Section 1 has turf fields to practice and play on, so Westlake wasn’t necessarily the leader of the turf trend. 

 

Away from the main field, other sections of improved grass and turf will be added to Westlake in order to ensure every student has the ability to practice and play on the best facilities possible. Furthermore, this new field system will help to allow every sports team, at every level, to have a designated practice area, with more space provided for each team. Overall, there are few flaws in the plan, and, although it may take long for the entire project to be completed, the new turf field will be completed prior to the Senior Graduation Ceremony barring no setbacks.