A relatively small piece of synthetic turf has made a huge difference for the athletes and their families at George Washington High School (GW). Faced with the challenge of finding adequate practice space for their growing athletic programs, the Redskins Booster Club looked online and found their solution in Turf Solutions Group (TSG).

“I saw that they were from Peoria, Illinois and thought ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t even know where that is.’,” said booster club member Pam Workman, who has three children attending the school. “But once I made the call, I was very impressed with them.”

Workman said the school had been trying for years to convert its entire field to synthetic turf, but couldn’t find the funding or the design to satisfy all programs.

TSG consultant Gary Olson and project manager Mike Ryan met with administrators at GW, and it was decided the best course of action was to build a practice area with synthetic turf adjacent to the on-campus football field.

“We couldn’t afford to do the entire field, but they treated us like we were their biggest client,” Workman said of TSG. “They did everything they said they would do for the price they said they would do it.”

TSG installed just more than 17,000 square feet of TSG Pro-4200 at a total cost that stayed within the booster club’s budget. The result has allowed the football, soccer and lacrosse teams increased practice time with the added benefit of preserving the actual playing field for home games.

Previously, the football team – annually one of the top programs in Class AAA – played its home games at a shared, municipal facility in downtown Charleston. For the 2010 season, coach Steve Edwards’ Redskins played home games on campus. The Redskins posted a regular-season record of 10-0.

“It did a lot for our community and our school,” Workman said. “Being able to play at home, especially in rivalry games, it feels like our house now.”