Reaction Post to news article on cities/organizations/sports using artifical grass
With the rapid increase of information available on the internet, it’s hard to distinguish between what is true and what isn't.
Here, we’ve discussed a few pros and cons of having artificial grass as a playing field for sports. And we’ve compiled snippets from news articles for your reference. This is to give you more information about artificial grass and if it can be a good alternative, should you be looking for one.
Pros and Cons of Having Artificial Turf on Sports Fields
The trend nowadays sees a big shift from natural grass fields to artificial turf fields for sports. If you’ve checked out newer all sports artificial turf fields, you’d see the technological advancement from the older ones. This is because the old “turf” grass used to look like a mat of pale-colored hairs resting on rubber. But because of research and developments, we now have turf that looks so realistic, it's hard to tell apart from actual grass.
Artificial turf soccer fields are popping up all over the country. FIFA even approves of high-quality artificial grass for football to be played on. Local governments also support the installation of these fields, mostly because artificial turf sports fields cost less than maintaining one of natural grass.
Pros of Artificial Sports Turf:
1. No maintenance
No watering, no pesticides, and no mowing factors are just a few of the amazing benefits of having artificial grass vs real grass. More play time and less maintenance time is a win win!
2. More games are playable; artificial grass needs no rest
This is one of the most beloved features of athletes, coaches, and schools alike. In most cases athletes of different sports aren’t able to fully utilize their sports field. This is because, with natural grass, there is always downtime after use.
Especially during the rainy season, a lot of teams are unable to play on natural grass fields. This is because playing once on a muddy surface can ruin the field all season. With artificial turf, mud and rain are never issues. No more game cancellations due to unfavorable weather conditions! Games can be played right on schedule, no matter the weather. When spring and fall come, no one has to deal with having to play on wilted grass.
3. It’s safer to play on
The latest artificial turf fields cause less friction to human skin compared to natural grass. This means less friction burns, cuts, and other injuries usually caused by playing surfaces with real grass. It’s also safer to play on whenever there’s rainfall because there won’t be any change in the surface’s texture. No more having to worry about digging onto the surface and getting stuck. No mud gripping the player’s shoes making it hard for them to move either. Overall, just a safer and more pleasant sporting experience.
At MegaGrass, we go above and beyond to ensure safety. By offering lead-free, toxin-free and emission-free grass, MegaGrass safeguards your athletes’ health and well-being! All of our grass products are professionally tested to ensure a 100% safe sport experience.
Cons of Artificial Sports Turf:
1. None, really.
When it comes to turf, there really aren't many downsides. The most common one would be that some people don't like the way it looks. Other than that, turf beats out real grass in almost every way imaginable.
In The News
WECT News reported on February 2019 that Brunswick County High schools (North, West, and South) are proposing to make a switch to artificial turf sports fields.
This is because “Despite additional expense and effort, the quality of [our] stadium grass remains subpar due to overuse,” and “Proposal writers said [they] did not find any data that turf could cause an increase in injury or illness.”
In addition, New Hanover High School, which plays and practices on artificial turf, has seen a decrease in injuries, according to the athletic director.
In April 2019, the Board of Directors of Brunswick voted unanimously to approve the change.
The newly installed grass field would greatly benefit the kids in Brunswick High School. The school pays too much for maintenance, and still end up with overused grass which isn’t always ready for play. In making the switch to artificial grass, the school also made the shift to commit to all the sports they use the field for.
Football, soccer, lacrosse, track, marching bands and others are the main activities the field caters to.
Unfortunately, in a natural grass field, the usage is not always balanced. Football is usually given preference, and the other sports aren’t always given enough time for practice or games. However, now that artificial grass is installed, there’s no more need for downtime to let the grass rest. The kids can start playing soccer just right after a football game. This means more time for training, more time for the kids to enjoy themselves too!
In Weymouth, Massachusetts, the Mayor spearheaded projects to improve 13 outdoor recreational facilities in their community. Included in these projects is the Libby Field, an artificial grass baseball field.
“It’s been said before, but I think it says it all: Weymouth has gone from some of the worst playing fields to among the best on the South Shore,” said Mayor Robert Hedlund. “Students of baseball deserve the same opportunities as their football, soccer, and lacrosse peers to practice and perform on a state-of-the-art field provided by their community. This new park is the first artificial-turf baseball diamond in our town’s history. It’s among the finest ball fields in the region, and it’s what our high school and youth baseball players deserve in a ballpark – one that’s equal in quality and opportunity to the fields available at Legion and Lovell.”
Since Libby Field’s opening in April 2018, the park has been used for 200 baseball games and practices. With at least one game played every weeknight and lots of games on weekends, Libby continuously caters to the high school students of Massachusetts’ baseball games. All these without having to give the grass any time to rest.
And the best thing about this is “Fall Ball” is now popular because a high-quality playing surface is now installed in the field instead of wilting natural grass.
So many sports all over the country are being played more by kids of all ages because of artificial grass. The days when fields are hogged by a chosen few are over. Now, since the fields are always playable, more teams and players can enjoy them!
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In 2018 Linden High School in Michigan switched from natural grass to an artificial grass turf field. They added shock pads underneath to add safety so when the student-athletes fall, there’s a little more cushion to break the fall.
One of the benefits of artificial grass fields is you can install a shock pad beneath the grass. Since natural grass surfaces have unpredictable growth and level, athletes won’t be able to properly calculate their moves. It would be difficult for them to know which parts are hard and which are wet. Especially after rainfall.
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Artificial grass fields of the 20th-century function like natural grass. Studies even show that players perform better in artificial grass surfaces. They found that sprinting and turning are “significantly better” on artificial turf, too. Changing directions while moving is easier due to the players “being able to generate more force from the surface.”
Gone are the days when artificial grass is viewed as an unworthy alternative. Turf for playing fields have changed so much since its introduction in 1966. The fact that FIFA allows their games to be played on artificial grass is a testament to the progress it has made as a playing surface.
Although health deterioration and physical injury are still both real and pressing concerns, they can be lessened. Toxin-free and lead-free grass is also available in the market. Falls can now be broken instead of bones because of shock pads. Flexibility and last-second decisions in the field are also supported by the surface. As an athlete, artificial turf’s got everything you’d want in a playing field.
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