Parents, coaches and students urge school committee to reconsider asphalt track and field plan

Dozens of parents, coaches and student-athletes urged the Nantucket School Committee on Oct. 8 to revisit an approved athletic facilities master plan that includes an asphalt track and limited field capacity, saying the proposal risks athlete injuries and fails to address chronic overuse of fields.

The speakers — who included coaches, parents and current high school athletes — told the committee an asphalt track would be too hard and would increase injuries such as shin splints and stress fractures. Many asked the committee to form a working group with coaches and parents to review surfaces, field capacity and maintenance before moving ahead.

Those concerns were raised repeatedly during the public-comment period. Grama Bizzi, identified in her remarks as a community member, urged the board to “revisit these approved athletic plans and consider expanding capacity or consider turf,” saying grass fields on island are already…