Atlee High School (AHS) once again has the top patriotic field design in the United States, a national competition has determined.
Atlee’s patriotic turf grass design for the 2022-23 homecoming football game won this year’s Stars and Stripes contest from the Sports Field Management Association. The competition included designs from the K-12, collegiate, and professional levels.
“The reason we enjoy this particular competition, sponsored by the Sports Field Management Association, is that it allows our students to showcase their talent and patriotism on a national stage,” said Marc Moran, the agriculture teacher at AHS. “If you looked at the other facilities that submitted designs, we knew we were measured against some of the best in the industry and to be selected is a huge honor and a testament to the hard work these students do every day on our sports fields. The students also like the fact that it elevates the awareness of the industry as a profession and the work they and many others do to provide a safe playing surface for all athletes at all levels of sports.”
He added: “We just want to thank the support of the community whose votes helped the students be recognized for their hard work. From a teacher’s standpoint, I am very proud of our team of students, from the past to current, who have helped our program grow to reflect the professionalism in the green industry.”
Moran, who has taught at AHS for the entirety of his 25-year teaching career, said that last fall, Advanced Turfgrass Applications students brainstormed several ideas for the homecoming design. Earlier in the football session, the students had hoped to do an Armed Forces Night themed turf design but inclement weather prevented them from executing that theme.
“We had already planned a checkered pattern color scheme for homecoming, but decided to marry the two and that is how we came up with the design for this year,” he said.
AHS Principal Dr. John Wheeler called Moran the “epitome of excellence.”
“I am extremely proud of Mr. Moran’s recognition, as he continues to shine brighter and brighter with each passing year of his extremely distinguished career. Atlee High School is incredibly lucky to have someone of Mr. Moran’s expertise on staff, as the Stars and Stripes design once again showcases the outstanding work of his exceptionally dedicated and talented students,” Wheeler said. “From his network of post-secondary institutions from around the country to former students who are in the profession today, Mr. Moran continues to show us why he is a pillar of excellence of Raider Nation.”
The Sports Field Management Association is the nonprofit, professional association for men and women who manage sports fields worldwide. Its members oversee facilities at schools, colleges and universities, parks and recreational facilities, and professional sports stadiums.