The turf field at the new athletic stadium at Edward Little High School is pictured Monday, with the new school in the background at right. The football and field hockey teams will now be able to play home games at the school after previously having to travel to other parts of the city. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Those afternoon bus trips across Auburn to play on a grass field won’t be as frequent for the Edward Little field hockey team this fall. 

Red Eddies coach Kim Joler is excited to play at the new Edward Little High School sports complex.

According to athletic director Todd Sampson, all indications are the multi-purpose athletic facility, which will also host football and boys and girls soccer, will be ready for the fall season. 

“(The field) changes our game exponentially,” Joler said. “Playing on turf versus playing on grass is like night and day.” 

For years, the field hockey team played behind Sherwood Heights Elementary School, which is more than two miles away. 

“Definitely not an ideal field,” Joler said. “We are going to have opportunities to play on grass, either at Auburn Middle School or at Sherwood, just because we will be playing on grass for some games, away games, but we are definitely going to utilize (the new) field as much as humanly possible.” 

Joler said as the complex has come together that she likes the layout of the field. 

“It looks very impressive from the top of the hill,” Joler said. “Honestly, compared to what we had a Sherwood, (I am) beyond excited. Not only that, but it is just being on the campus itself and having the exposure for field hockey, where some spectators have no idea what the sport is because it is so far away and haven’t made it to the game.” 

The Edward Little High School logo is seen June 12 on the 50-yard line of the new turf football field. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Sampson said some fields will remain under construction. 

“Like the second practice rectangle field won’t be ready this year. The baseball, softball fields won’t be ready this year,” Sampson said. “We are hoping that the tennis courts are done and ready for the spring.” 

The girls and boys lacrosse teams will also play at the athletic complex in the spring. 

“We will obviously run and track field there,” he said. “By 2025, we will have a baseball field, a softball field and the second grass rectangular field right next to the turf field.” 

Sampson said the athletic complex and the other new fields is a windfall for Edward Little’s students. 

“The biggest thing for me is I am excited for our student-athletes and our coaches,” he said. “For years, field hockey is played over at Sherwood Heights, football has been at Walton (Field), baseball, softball has been at Auburn Suburban.” 

Sampson said there will no longer be bus trips to Walton Field — also more than two miles away — to practice and play the football and lacrosse teams’ home games there. 

“I am just so happy for our kids,” Sampson pointed out. “(Football players) are going to be able to walk out of the locker room and down onto that turf field. For our field hockey players, they will be able to be right there, and everybody will be able to see kids playing field hockey.” 

Sampson said Auburn Middle School athletes won’t see much of that turf. 

“For this fall, when you think about it, we are going to have eight different teams on that turf playing games, so we’re really going to be busy from 2:30 to 9:30 every day,” Sampson explained. “We are not going to have a lot of time for AMS to use it. 

“However, we do have a little bit of a vision that we are going to really try to play our eighth-grade games against Lewiston, and of bring our eighth graders up and kind give them a little taste of the turf.” 

A ROUND OF APPLAUSE 

Edward Little football coach Rick Kramer sees numerous benefits to play on campus. 

“The benefit of playing on the turf is that we will have a field at the high school and students will now be able to envision themselves attending and playing a sport on the site of their school,” Kramer said. “The high school is a community in itself, and having a field on-site will create an automatic connection between the school and the sport.  We will be able to change, practice and play our home games at home.”   

Kramer is grateful for the athletic complex but is cautious about the turf. He added that practicing in the Walton grass overflow parking lot was a challenge. 

“Practicing on the parking lot area at Walton was not ideal and caused a few injury scares last year,” Kramer said. “When I was coaching at Bridgton Academy, we practiced on the turf a couple of times a week, with most of our practice time on grass. I would be worried about wear and tear on the legs of the athletes. However, we have a shortened and staggered practice schedule that should allow for adequate recovery.” 

Kramer said he is looking forward to the team playing at the complex as much as his athletes. 

“Numerous students have told me that they are so excited to have the community invest in their school and future,” he said. “The field, stands, snack shack, press box, bathrooms, all overlooked by the new school. I am excited for all the programs. It is like the ‘Field of Dreams’ — If you build it, they will come.”