As an athletic director or business director for a public high school, your primary objective is to provide your athletes with the best possible environment to support their success. Playing conditions are essential to an athlete’s performance and, most importantly, their safety. That is why many athletic facilities are equipped with artificial turf, as it offers a perfect balance between performance and safety.
American Athletic Track and Turf, a prominent athletic facility construction company and leading expert, provides clients in East Coast states with professional artificial turf field services. Here, we detail the pros and cons of turf to help you decide.
The Benefits of Artificial Turf
Artificial turf is an increasingly popular playing surface for sports fields due to its benefits for athletes, groundskeepers, and others. The advantages of artificial turf installation include:
Durability
Playing surfaces are subject to harsh punishment from athletes’ cleats, as well as sporting equipment such as soccer goals, field hockey sticks, and more. After heavy use, traditional grass fields will thin out and look disheveled, requiring downtime to restore them to their normal playing conditions.
Artificial turf fields are highly regarded because of their ability to withstand the intense play and constant punishment that’s standard with athletic programs. The playing surface can handle back-to-back sporting events without showing any signs of wear and tear, which is crucial to providing a consistent playing surface and preventing injuries.
Low Maintenance
Maintaining the look of a natural grass field requires a tremendous amount of effort. A grounds crew must continuously monitor the grass field, making sure it is watered and mowed regularly. All this upkeep requires hard work, time, and money.
Artificial turf is a low-maintenance alternative to natural grass fields. The turf never needs to be mowed, watered, fertilized, or reseeded. With less downtime needed to maintain the playing surface, athletes have more time to practice and play on the field.
Appearance
A perfectly manicured playing field turns a lot of heads. Athletes take pride in practicing and performing on a well-groomed playing surface. Artificial turf requires no time to prepare and is always in top shape for competition.
Furthermore, an appealing athletic facility with an artificial turf playing surface can be a strong selling point for athletic programs.
Does Artificial Turf Increase the Risk of Injuries?
One of the biggest topics of conversation about artificial turf is player safety. According to a 2023 paper published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, studies suggest that artificial turf could be more likely to cause foot and ankle injuries than natural grass, due to synthetic surfaces having less give. This means that feet, ankles, and knees absorb more force, making injuries more likely.
Although artificial turf has often been accused of causing injuries in sports, various factors can play a role. These include the advancement of sports equipment, changes in rules, ever-changing footwear, and the increased athleticism of players. It’s also important to note that the same types of injuries can occur on traditional grass fields.
Discover More About the Pros and Cons of Turf
If you want to learn more about the pros and cons of turf, turn to the knowledgeable and trusted team at American Athletic Track and Turf. For over 25 years, clients have looked to us to provide them with professional sports field design, construction, and maintenance services, as well as sound advice when it comes to their athletic facilities.
As a partner of FieldTurf, a Tarkett Sports Company, we proudly provide award-winning final products to our clients on the East Coast, as well as in the Southeast region. Our service areas include eastern Pennsylvania, southern Massachusetts, Delaware, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Florida, New Jersey, and Maine.
In addition to our top-quality services, industry-leading warranties, and reliable repairs, American Athletic is pleased to offer its SmartBuy Program. This time and money-saving program is an alternative to the traditional bidding process while still giving clients full control over the look of their new field turf installation.
Clients can contact us today to learn more about the advantages of artificial turf, or to get a quote.
