Former Nantucket Coach Urges Schools To Rethink Plan For New Athletic Field

To the editor: I am writing to share my thoughts on the school’s proposed plan for the athletic fields and facilities. As a longtime advocate for the importance of sports—both on this island and in life—I was thrilled to see this issue finally receiving the attention and planning it deserves. However, I would be remiss not to express my reservations about fully supporting the current plan.

Sports are essential to the physical health, mental well-being, and personal growth of our students. They teach collaboration, perseverance, and respect—important life skills that extend far beyond the field. Through sports, students learn how to work toward common goals, handle success and disappointment with grace, and treat their teammates, opponents, coaches, and officials with respect. Sports also offer a valuable outlet at the end of the day—a time for students to unwind, connect, and relieve the pressures of academics, social life, and technology. Our student-athletes deserve a space that is safe, well-maintained, and reliable.

That is why I worry that the current plan, which includes replacing the existing grass field, with new grass and with an asphalt track, may not fully meet those needs.

As the former Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse Coach at Nantucket High School, and with over 13 years of coaching experience across seven states in sports like lacrosse and hockey, I’ve had the opportunity to coach on hundreds of fields - most of them synthetic turf. I’ve coached in every kind of weather: rain, snow, fog, and under the lights. I’ve observed that Nantucket is one of the few remaining programs still relying primarily on grass surfaces. Many of our Cape and Islands League peers - Falmouth, Nauset, Sandwich, and most recently Dennis-Yarmouth - have transitioned to turf fields, often with cushioned tracks rather than asphalt. These schools have made thoughtful investments that allow consistent, safe play in conditions where grass fields quickly become unplayable.

Importantly, turf technology has evolved significantly. Today, there are high-quality options made from sustainable materials such as bamboo fibers, sand, and corn husks - eliminating concerns over PFAS.

Our own experience highlights the problem. When the football field was resodded in 2023 through generous local donations, it initially looked beautiful. However, by the fall of 2024 and spring of 2025, the field had again deteriorated. This decline was attributed to heavy use and insufficient maintenance - issues that natural grass simply cannot stand up against in a high-demand athletic program.

I’d also like to share a personal example. My daughter Bailey, who now plays Division I lacrosse at Vanderbilt University, began her recruiting journey in sixth grade. Her training took place almost exclusively on turf—both for practices and tournaments across the country. During her senior year, Bailey played in the annual powder puff football game under the lights here on Nantucket. Unfortunately, when she landed awkwardly on an uneven patch of grass, she twisted her ankle badly. She spent months rehabbing the injury and missed her entire senior hockey season. While she continues to play at a high level, that ankle injury remains a lingering setback—one that may have been avoided with a safer, more stable playing surface.

I wholeheartedly believe that our students deserve facilities that reflect their effort and ambition. Investing in a modern synthetic turf field—responsibly designed and safely maintained—would give our athletes the consistent, year-round access they deserve. My concern is that by choosing to just reseed our grass field and an asphalt track, we risk repeating the same cycle of overuse, deterioration, and uneven playing conditions we’ve experienced before.

Our students, teams, and community deserve better. Let’s make an investment that lasts, fosters safety, and supports the future of athletics on this island.

Sincerely,

Jami Lower