SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Boys Varsity Soccer Turf Fields - Irmo, Dutch Fork, Chapin

I heard that District 5 schools were considering replacing natural turf at all three high school stadiums with artificial turf. Now I hear that this has been approved at a cost of $700,000 per field. Say it ain't so.

I live in the district and nobody asked me if I wanted to pay for that. Playing soccer on a field lined for football is just plain wrong.

I don't remember the costs for this project being listed in the last bond issue. Many will say that this will save a tremendous amount of money in maintenance and upkeep of natural turf. But what about the other issues:
Increased incidense of the following:
* Turf toe
* Muscle trauma
* Turf burn
* MRSA infections
* Dehydration, heat exhaustion due to the higher temperatures (150-170 degrees)on the artificial turf fields
Google artificial turf injuries for more info
Two links below:
http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/ats/news/2005/synthetic/
http://sportsinjuries.suite101.com/article.cfm/injuries_on_artificial_turf_versus_natural_grass

I don't know of any player on my son's team who likes playing on artificial turf.
This is an important decision and should be discussed in the open before obligating the taxpayers for a potential boondoggle.

FIFA has given approval to FieldTurf for soccer.

http://www.fieldturf.com/soccer/

Well, I don't live, coach or play in that district but wanted to add some info on turf fields.

I am assuming they are talking about FieldTurf and not artificial turf like we saw in the "cookie cutter" baseball/football stadiums of the 70s and 80s. Those were essentially carpet laid on top of concrete.

The biggest issue with FieldTurf is the amount of heat it creates! This surface is basically ground up rubber and "plastic" grass. The temperature is easily 10-15 degrees hotter on a FieldTurf field compared to natural grass. I am not sure this is the smartest idea in the south. Also, lines are basically permanent. The FieldTurf fields I have played and coached on are lined for football, lacrosse and soccer. This means there are three different colors of lines on the field. Finally, the speed of the game on FieldTurf is not realistic. It is artificially fast!

The Voice of Reason

Np question turf fields are great during periods of heavy rain and absolutely terrible on warm sunny days. I'd say they're a good choice for cold climates where beautiful grass fields can't be grown.

My primary concern has always been the potential for an increased incidence of bacteria build up over time resulting in a higher probability of a player contracting a staph infection from the surface through a new or old wound.

It would be nice to know if the district has thoroughly researched this particular variable before proceeding with the installations. I'm not a biologist, but I would think the chance of contracting such an infection from a natural surface is much lower than contracting such an infection from an artificial surface.

Can anyone offer some evidence to show otherwise. I hope there is no difference but I can see how there can be.

Here's an informative article on the issue:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=alxhrJDn.cdc

Manchester - you are right on. Here is an excerpt from an article by Brad Fresenburg at the University of Missouri(see Link below:

"The hidden danger on an artificial field is the threat of bacterial infections. Disinfectant should be sprayed as needed if there's a known infection risk, but Fresenburg said he doesn't know what procedures are necessary to prevent bacterial contamination in the first place.

"Natural grass has a microbial system. It's self-cleaning. These synthetic fields don't have that," Fresenburg said. "There's warmth. There's moisture. Bacteria can thrive in there. There's sweat, spit and blood."

Players need to immediately report any "turf-burns," abrasions so named for their similarity to rug burns. Turf burns are common on certain types of synthetic turf. They must be immediately washed with soap and water to prevent infection.

Often young athletes are inclined to ignore seemingly minor injuries. "We have done a good job of educating our students on turf burns," Sharp said. "We've had to educate our kids to let us clean and treat those."

http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/ats/news/2005/synthetic/

That's what I figured. Sad for the kids who'll miss the experience of playing in ALL of the elements in front of their rabid high school fans. Slide tackles and those famous celebratory belly slides in the pouring rain. Not to mention the irreplaceable smell of freshly cut spring sports grass. All to be a thing of the past for HS Soccer. Not to mention having to play on a field marked for football. Good Grief!

Maybe the very real issue of 'turf bugs' will stop the installation train.

Too Bad is all I can say! I'm a fan of the real thing.

Definatly wasn't fun to play on Rock Hill's turf field last year, but i must admit it would save some money in the long run since weather cant really effect the field conditions. There's definatly many pro's and con's for them to look at before deciding whether to or not.