Breaking: Stadium Field and Stevens Field Closed Indefinitely Following Failed GMAX Safety Tests

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Local high school athletic schedules face major disruptions this fall season following an urgent update regarding community sports facilities. Latest surface testing results confirm that both Stadium Field and Stevens Field have failed mandatory shock-absorption evaluations, forcing an immediate, temporary shutdown of both locations.

While both surfaces successfully passed routine GMAX inspections last April, recent follow-up testing revealed critical safety concerns that prevent regular play.

---

What Is GMAX Testing and Why Did the Fields Fail?

GMAX testing measures an athletic field surface’s shock-absorption capacity and overall impact safety. A failed GMAX test indicates that a field’s surface is too hard, significantly increasing the risk of player injury, including concussions and lower-body impacts.

Despite comprehensive remediation efforts over the past several weeks, the fields remain unsafe for student-athletes.

---

Key Remediation Steps Taken So Far

District officials and field maintenance crews pursued multiple diagnostic and restoration avenues prior to closing the grounds:

• Independent Vendor Testing: Three separate industry vendors were brought in to evaluate the turf conditions. Two out of the three vendors confirmed that both fields failed safety thresholds, following an earlier test that initially flagged issues with Stevens Field.

• Professional Field Cleaning: Two recognized industry specialist companies were hired to deep clean and assess the turf conditions.

• Surface Decompaction Work: Intensive decompaction work was performed on both fields to relieve severe silt buildup accumulated over the spring and summer months.

Despite these aggressive restoration steps, the latest round of GMAX testing indicates that neither field meets mandatory safety standards. Consequently, both Stadium Field and Stevens Field will remain closed for at least the remainder of the fall season.

---

Next Steps for Teams, Schedule Relocations, and Community Updates

• Alternate Locations: Athletic Director Keith Cook is actively coordinating with regional venues to reschedule upcoming practices and games.

• Schedule Updates: Coaches, players, and parents are advised to regularly monitor the official facility schedule, as times and venues will shift dynamically based on availability.

• Superintendent Coffee Session: To address community concerns directly and provide ongoing updates, the district will host a special Superintendent Coffee forum. Specific dates and times will be announced shortly.

District administration acknowledges the significant disruption this closure causes for student-athletes, families, and coaching staff during the active fall season and appreciates community patience while working toward long-term solutions.

---

Tell your story #TheRidgewoodblog , #Indpendentnews, #information, #advertise, #guestpost, #affiliatemarketing,#NorthJersey, #NJ , #News, #localnews, #bergencounty, #sponsoredpost, #SponsoredContent, #contentplacement , #linkplacement, Email: [email protected]

Tags: #LocalSports #HighSchoolAthletics #FieldSafety #GMAXTesting #CommunityNews #SportsSchedule #TurfMaintenance