Despite efforts from the football team and Westport residents, the petition requesting a delayed construction of the new high school football field and track was denied. With the start of the field construction in early May, it was contracted that fall would be the time frame that the track would be completed. The first game on the Staples turf will be in mid October.
AJ Konstanty ’20 and his family started the petition, which was posted in the Staples Superfans Facebook group on Sept. 8, which quickly received over 1,000 signatures in just over 24 hours.
The efforts made by Konstanty, parents, football team and students did not go unrecognized.
“This made it all the way to the first selectman’s office.” Marty Liseveck, the Staples High School athletic director, said. “I have heard from everyone in town regarding the project.”
Ultimately it was the weather that determined that the track had to be laid down in the fall.
“The weather needs to be at 60 degrees in order for the install of the surface,” Marty Liseveck said.
But some Westporters would rather have the track impact the spring sports, so long as the football season was kept intact.
“I am in full support of the track being delayed until the spring,” Oliver Clachko ’22, a runner on the outdoor track team, said, “as long is it allows for us to have pre-season and practice on time.”
Konstanty also agreed that playing on the field should take precedence over the construction of the track.
“For the seniors, this is the last time we are going to play football together for the rest of our lives,” Konstanty said. “We are going to remember this senior year as our last. The ability to play at home in front of your town and home crowd is second to none.”
Though football fans and players have had to wait,Friday night football games on the Staples turf are coming up soon.
“As the stadium should be ready in two weeks,” Marty Liseveck said, “I think everyone will see an amazing facility and be able to use it for many years to come.”