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Over the past couple of weeks, two major national outlets, The New York Times and The Washington Post, have covered ongoing debates over artificial turf in communities across the country. These are important discussions with broad implications for safe play around the country.
After all, exercise and outdoor play are at a premium in an age with increased screen time. Combined with the popularity of organized youth sports, the issue of how best to accommodate a large volume of games and sports is a big one in many localities.
Safety is paramount when considering this issue. The Times and Post outlined the concerns that some have over crumb rubber infill, echoing years of sentiment that the infill may carry harmful health effects. But neither mentioned this year’s California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) study.
Other concerns similarly fall short. For instance, new test results show promise in recycling turf fields at the end of their lifespan. Additionally, containment measures are effective in preventing infill and synthetic grass from leaving the field area, helping to ensure the fields’ environmental compatibility.
Recycled Rubber News
Roseburg City Council votes to pursue grants for Fir Grove Park turf field improvements (KPIC): At a recent Roseburg, Oregon City Council meeting, local soccer players, parents, and coaches got together and spoke out in favor of adding new turf fields at Fir Grove Park. The new fields would play host to additional soccer games, while also being able to handle additional sports. The council backed the advocates voted to authorize staff to seek funding for the new fields.
Schools Seek CVB Grant for Artificial Turf (The Pilot): Moore County Schools in North Carolina is hoping to gain a grant to complete a turf installation at Woodrow Wilhoit Stadium. The district says that the new field can help attract regional tourism for travel sports tournaments. “Synthetic turf in high quality is in high demand; it’s an all-weather playing surface,” local superintendent Jenny Purvis told the school board. “This would aim to increase field availability for year-round local sports as well as attracting regional tournaments, which we’ve talked about before.”
Highlanders say goodbye to grass and welcome new turf at Orr Field (Elizabethton Star): At Cloudland High School in Roan Martin, TN, the community’s beloved football team will replace its well-worn grass field with a new turf surface this season. “I think as long as it benefits the kids that use it, whether that’s band members, junior high football, youth club football and high school football, the field is not going to be torn up as much,” head coach Zac Benfield said. “Also, hopefully it will stop injuries from happening as much, and I think you have to look at it from that perspective.”
What We’re Reading
Final Thoughts
Going forward, the so-called “turf wars” are sure to continue. School is starting up soon and that means renewed attention on how to make sure local fields and parks can accommodate athletes from all sports and ages.
Turf has been shown to offer ten times the utilization compared to grass and ensures that activities can continue even after bad weather and high usage. High schools, for example, have numerous activities to accommodate this time of year — from early morning band practice to football two-a-days to soccer tryouts. Decision-makers should look to the updated research to be confident in their choice of turf.
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