Upgrades to athletics facilities at PHS

Upgrades to the bleachers, tennis courts, track, and turf are coming to PHS this summer. Bleachers in both the New Gym and stadium bleachers will be improved, the tennis courts will be completely re-done, the turf will be replaced, and new track facilities will be added over the summer.

Principal Cecilia Birge stated that the new, automated bleachers would greatly benefit the custodians who work behind-the-scenes to set up sports events and clean the gym.

“They must do it within 20 minutes or so because, between the end of bell and the start of each game, they only have about 30 minutes. And they have to lay out all the chairs, they have to pull the bleacher out, [and] they have to make sure that the court is ready for the athletic games,” said Birge. “So over time, as you can imagine, there were [bodily] injuries. There were workers [compensations].”

The most urgent issues, including the outdated bleachers, were brought up in the January 2023 referendum. The current bleachers do not follow Americans with Disabilities Act regulations, raising concerns for student safety as well. When the bleachers are renovated, sections of it will be transformed to accommodate seating for wheelchairs. Athletic Director Brian Dzbenski also emphasized the speed of the automated system, which will help PHS smoothly transition between different activities.

“One person can hold [an] electronic device, hit the switch, and [the bleachers] would all come out within 30 to 60 seconds and go back in,” said Mr. Dzbenski. “So in four minutes, you can transfer that learning space to an assembly set up, an athletic event set up, or an open gym space.”

As for the bleachers outside, a center access will be opened, which will ensure the safety of any spectators of events on the field, especially in the case of an emergency such as and evacuation. Additionally, to promote school spirit, the PHS logo will be painted on the side of the bleachers and in the middle.

The resurfacing of the tennis courts was part of the general maintenance plan. This upkeep was part of the high school’s five-year master plan for athletic facilities that was delayed by COVID-19 and stretched to seven years. While the tennis courts remain usable, they fall short of regulations set by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association because of the excessive wear and tear. Maintenance became an even greater priority, especially after the 2024 earthquake, which left a large crack that trails from the front to the end of the tennis court. Overall erosion from natural wear and tear also made the courts’ surface uneven, and water runoff from the upper field left slippery silt deposits. All of these factors force PHS’s tennis teams to play away games more often.

Over the summer, the court will be rebuilt. To elongate the lifetime of the new courts, a new drainage system will be dug to address the problems caused by excess rainwater. Santi Montoreano ’26, a member of the PHS boys tennis team, is looking forward to the court upgrades.

“I think the courts aren’t in the worst conditions possible. Obviously, there are some schools in the county that have worse court [conditions], but we don’t have the best ones … I think we should prioritize the court resurfacing,” said Montoreano.

The track’s surface will be extended into the current turf ’s space a bit more, creating a D-shape on both ends of the field. This will provide more space for athletes to practice different skills such as hurdles or other techniques that aren’t as doable with so many people on the track. In addition, a pole vault area and self-catching sandpit that prevents sand from spilling over will be built on the farther end of the stadium.

Additionally, safety features such as ball-stop netting will surround the football field and shotput fence. The turf will also see a completely new makeover. The coloring will be changed according to the National Federation High School rules: gold boundaries are for soccer, white for football, blue for boys lacrosse, red for girls lacrosse, and orange for field hockey.

PHS students may be accustomed with the flatness of the current turf grass. This time, PHS has invested in high quality fibers, which have a helix shape that feels much more like real grass and keeps them standing even after long-term use.

“We’re getting a solid green. It uses two different fibers of shades of green to make it look like natural grass … In addition to that, we have an underlying pad that is going under the turf. That is going to extend the [turf ’s] life and also protect our athletes from concussions. So it actually will reduce the impact if anyone falls and hits their head,” said Dzbenski.

These changes, which are taking place over the three months of summer break, took years of planning, collaboration, and research.

“This is where I appreciate our staff so much. We make it look so easy and effortless, right?” said Birge. “When you go to do a volleyball game or badminton or futsal, everything is there … but we often do not think about the people who are behind the scenes and make it ready and available for us.”