Estero High School debuts new state-of-the-art turf field

Estero High School has a new state-of-the-art turf field to play on.

The field has tiny beads which are embedded and designed to reduce the hardness of playing in the surface but also to reduce high temperatures by 10 to 15 degrees.

That will help players and coaches stay cooler on the field.

The Estero High School Wildcats will played their first home game on the new field Friday night.

Darren Nelson is the head football coach at Estero High School and he said he is excited about his team playing and the new field.

“Number one, footballs back,” said Nelson. “I’m really excited for the community to come together and celebrate this beautiful field. The village of Estero has just been outstanding and this facility is top-notch.”

High School football is back and a new season means a new look for the Wildcats home field.

Jon McLain is the Mayor of the Village of Estero and he said he is excited about the new football field.

“Here in in Florida, which is so hot, we put some special beads in the turf that’s going to reduce the temperature of the turf by about 10 to 15 degrees,” said McLain. “And in addition to that, this field, as beautiful as it is, is on par with any of the NFL teams around the country. So the village of Estero is very excited.”

This turf is phase one of the new Sports Park project the Village of Estero is building. It includes a multi-phase plan to turn 52 acres of land into a joint-use sports park and recreation facility.

“The second phase, which is under planning and getting ready for construction is going to be the redo of their eight tennis courts, redo of their outside basketball courts and then brand new pickleball courts,” said McLain. “So it’s going to be a real asset to the students, but also for the citizens of the Village of Estero.”

The ribbon cutting happened Friday evening. The Estero High Wildcats played the Riverdale High Raiders in the home opener.