New field ready for play

Edison High officially celebrated its new soccer field Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a nonleague girls’ varsity soccer match between the Chargers and Huntington Beach, which Edison won, 2-0.

The ceremony drew Huntington Beach Mayor Debbie Cook, as well as Councilwoman Jill Hardy, who is a 1989 graduate of Edison.

The field was manufactured in Italy and put together by Tiger Turf of Austin, Texas.

The finished product was installed by California Ultimate Turf located in Signal Hill.

Doug Coulter, president of California Ultimate Turf, said the field is the first radici fiber field installed in California.

Edison Athletic Director Bruce Belcher said the project began in June 2006 and the field area was completed in mid-November.

“It’s a state-of-the-art soccer-specific field,” Coulter said. “The ball roll and ball bounce is as good as it would be on a natural playing field. It’s an amazing surface to play on.”

Coulter also said the turf will save up to 15,000 gallons of water annually and provide student/athletes a safe playing surface.

“It captures water that goes right through the turf, sends it through a sub drain, and then through the main drain and into the ocean,” he said. “It’s good, clean water.”

Edison athletes have been enjoying the turf field this fall, Belcher said, noting the girls’ and boys’ soccer teams have used it for practices.

The Chargers football team also used it during practice preparations leading up to the CIF playoff game against Orange Lutheran last month and the field has been used by physical education classes at the school.

“It’s really an amazing field,” Belcher said. “The kids are really fired up about it.”

Cindy Berman, community resource coordinator at Edison, said the field was made possible by donations from the Edison High community and the Huntington Beach Union High School District.

Belcher said the cost of the project was close to $750,000.