Shelbyville Central Hosts Cooper Steel Night at Upgraded Stadium
We were proud to celebrate the completion of Shelbyville Central High School’s newly upgraded stadium on Thursday, October 23, during Cooper Steel Night. Before kickoff, our team hosted a tailgate featuring concessions, games, face painting, and more for employees, families, and fans alike to enjoy.
The celebration continued on the field, where our CEO and Chairman of the Board, Gary Cooper, was honored. This meaningful tribute reflects the Cooper family’s longstanding commitment to strengthening Bedford County and their school pride as Gary and his children all attended SCHS, as well as participated on athletic teams. Filled with the fun of the tailgate and the excitement of the game, the night marked a milestone in our support of local schools.
The stadium upgrades were officially finished earlier this season – just in time for SCHS’s first home game against Independence High School. Complete with over 200,000 square feet of professional-grade turf throughout the facility, the stadium will be used year-round for athletics and other events. The playing field was built by Hellas, using proprietary Matrix Helix synthetic turf selected by SCHS. This is the same turf used by 17 NFL franchises in their synthetic turf fields for either stadium or practice facilities.
The playing field turf is supported by the Cushdrain shock pad, which is a 19MM shock pad with a 25-year life cycle that helps to decrease the risk of concussions, provide drainage, and keep an even playing surface over time. For infill, Ecotherm was chosen, which leverages a cooling technology that can provide up to 30-degrees-lower surface temperatures than standard styrene-butadiene rubber infill.
Goat Turf completed the landscape turf around the field and facility, allowing students, families and attendees to enjoy the outdoor space.
Along with the new turf, some of the additional improvements we supported in the stadium facilities include:
- New Jumbotron (Football, Baseball + Softball)
- Football and Soccer Locker Room
- (Including: Film Room, New Coaches Office, and Lounge)
- New Audio
- Ticket Facility + Restrooms
- Space for 10 food truck stations with picnic tables for guests to enjoy
Outside of the stadium, we’ve helped provide upgrades and additions, including:
- New State-of-the-Art Weight Room
- (Including: Weights and Lifting Systems, Sound System, Big Fans, Athletic Offices and New Technology)
- Baseball And Softball Improvements
- New Jumbotrons for Both Fields
- Press Box + Restroom Facilities
- Updated Hitting Facility, including Netting System, Pitching Machines, Turf, A/C and Heat
- Athletic Trainers’ Clinic
- New Ladies’ Volleyball Locker Room
- New Ladies’ Soccer and Softball Locker Room
- Improvements to the Visiting Team Locker Room
These updates are part of a phased improvement plan for the athletics facilities at Shelbyville Central High School. There are plans and ongoing renovations being made to the school to soon introduce updates including:
- State-of-the-Art Turf Installments for Softball and Baseball
- New Baseball and Softball Dugouts + Stadium Seating
- Practice Field – lit field for soccer and football tournaments use
We are grateful to be able to invest in the next generation and our local schools, which will help to build a stronger community for tomorrow!
