Brooklyn City Schools celebrates new athletic turf field

09/04/2025 - John Benson, special to cleveland.com

BROOKLYN, Ohio -- The latest update at Coach Jerry Younger Field at Brooklyn Stadium was celebrated last month at an official dedication of the new artificial turf field at the Hurricane Alley venue.

The school district used a $250,000 NFL grant to cover the $680,000 turf project.

“The rededication of our turf field is more than an upgrade to our facilities; it’s a testament to the power of partnership,” Brooklyn City Schools Superintendent/CEO Theodore Caleris said.

“Thanks to the Cleveland Browns, the NFL Foundation and LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corp.) Cleveland, our students and community have a space that inspires pride, strengthens connections and creates opportunities for years to come.”

The evening marked the official dedication of the 17th Browns synthetic turf field installed in Ohio.

Brooklyn’s field was made possible through the support of the Browns, the Haslam and Johnson families, Browns Give Back and the NFL Foundation Grassroots Grant, a partnership between the National Football League Foundation and LISC.

“This rededication marks more than just a revival of a stadium,” LISC Program Officer for Community Development Walter Morris said in a press release.

“It reflects the power of partnership. And together, this shared vision reflects the steadfast commitment to creating opportunities and enriching communities.”

The Browns launched the field project in 2016 when the team funded the installation of five new fields in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District over a two-year span.

Since then, the initiative has helped build artificial turf fields across Northeast Ohio, with Brooklyn’s installation marking the latest milestone.

“Looking at this field and this installation, when we think about education, we look at these fields as really outdoor classrooms,” Chief Communications Officer of Haslam Sports Group Peter John-Baptiste said in a press release.

“Students who are involved in extracurricular activities -- when they’re playing football, when they’re in the band, when they’re playing soccer, when they’re out in the community -- typically they’re really engaged in school, and it makes the parents become engaged in school.

“That’s so important to our efforts and the future of the youth here throughout Northeast Ohio.”

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