St Therea’s Primary School in Invercargill opened its new mini FIFA pitch on Monday, the first of six that are coming to New Zealand.
Principal Julian Ineson said the new turf was exciting “for the whole school and the whole community”.
“It’s been a big project for some time now . . . to have something now that’s available for the kids to use all year round, you can already see the smiles.”
The previous field was often out of use due to the damp conditions and they were keen to getsomething that could be used no matter the weather, he said.
While being an official FIFA pitch, it can also function as a cricket and futsal pitch, with markings that can be added for other sports too.
The new sports area also included a nine-hole mini golf course, with each hole representing a different culture from their school.
“We’ve got different levels of cricket for different ages, the mini golf course, futsal and so forth.
“It’s a real multi-use facility that exposes them to different sports.”
This would be of great benefit to the school’s PE programme, “instead of relying purely on the hall when it’s available”, he said.
“The team that have worked on this along with our caretaker have done a fantastic job in ensuring it’s high quality and will be used for years to come.
“The fact they can get out there and enjoy the sunshine, that’s fantastic.”
SmartGrass general manager Kerry Forde said seeing the finished product being used was “absolutely heartwarming”.
“Our ethos is about creating spaces for people to be and enjoy, and what we’re seeing right now is just awesome.”
There will be six pitches rolled out across New Zealand, part of FIFA’s “Arena” initiative to build 1000 mini-pitches around the world.
St Theresa’s was already getting a new pitch from SmartGrass, but Mr Forde thought this would be a good opportunity to give the school “a taste of an international pitch down in Invercargill”.
“We decided as a business that it’d be a great chance to change the turf we originally designed for here.”
A 12-week job, with four months of design, “there’s a lot of time on knees getting this going”, he said.
“The school did a great job in the design, we just provided guidance . . . the ground preparation was completed by a local firm and they did great.
“We love working with local business where we can to get the place set up.”
Environmental sustainability was also important as once the product reaches the end of it’s life, it would be recycled, he said.
The initiative aims to increase participation for children in sport, giving them something they could use all year round.
“It gives young people places to play, form connections, and enjoy themselves.”