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I've met some opinionated people in my life, and if there's anything to be learned from those experiences, it's that universally-accepted truths are difficult to come by. Humans are an argumentative breed, whether that's Coke against Pepsi, East Coast versus West Coast, The Sex Pistols or The Ramones. We've got preferences. It's what makes us unique beings.
That said, I've never met anyone -- and I mean anyone -- who prefers artificial turf over natural grass on a sporting field. (Artificial turf salesmen need not apply.) There's just something inherently wrong about the stuff; kind of like the Star Wars prequels or non-alcoholic beer, turf stains something that's pure and good. Sure, back in the seventies, the stuff was all the rage; but hey, we often make mistakes, even collectively. The important thing is that we move on. But try telling that to a collective of three Montgomery County high schools, who have decided (you fools!) to invoke the wrath of the sporting gods and convert acceptable grass athletic fields to the fake stuff.
Why? Well, the always-popular "turf is less expensive, except for the installation, the eventual replacement, and the cost to our authenticity" argument is certainly involved. But school officials also contend that the new surfaces will create "more playing time for more teams." I'm not quite sure how that works geometrically, but sure, once half the players have to sit out with turf toe and blown-out knees, there will be plenty more chance for other kids to play. Awesome!
Besides, I'm sure playing on a surface which has been known to potentially reach 173 degrees won't have any effect on games whatsoever. C'mon, MontCo, do the right thing and stick with the grass -- I bet you'll have a hard time finding someone who would disagree.
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Turf is so great that all MLB teams have decided to switch back to the stuff in their new stadiums...not.
Concerns about the heat of the field are misplaced. No HS sports take place during the summer months, no HS sports take place before 3 PM (except the 1 Saturday homecoming football game a year -- taking place in late Sept. at the earliest), and no Montgomery County HS sports practice on the game field.
The real concern should be that athletes will have to buy two different kinds of shoes, or risk significant injury. Grass cleats lead to broken ankles when worn on field turf.
I hate to muddle the picture with facts but there are two sides to the argument. I will agree that it is tough to beat a nice natural grass field but there are legitimate reasons for considering turf.
1. It does not require different cleats for the new types of turf, the same cleats used on natural turf are required.
2. The heat issue is not as extreme as stated. The temps quotes are from a thermometer stuck in the field, at 2' above the surface the temp difference was only 5-7% higher, at 5' (head height) there was no difference. Humidity was 50% lower than on natural turf so the heat index is actually not a factor.
3. No water usage
4. No chemical usage
I hate to muddle the picture with facts but there are two sides to the argument. I will agree that it is tough to beat a nice natural grass field but there are legitimate reasons for considering turf.
1. It does not require different cleats for the new types of turf, the same cleats used on natural turf are required.
2. The heat issue is not as extreme as stated. The temps quotes are from a thermometer stuck in the field, at 2' above the surface the temp difference was only 5-7% higher, at 5' (head height) there was no difference. Humidity was 50% lower than on natural turf so the heat index is actually not a factor.
3. No water usage
4. No chemical usage
Artificial turf gets hot enough to burn bare feet on even moderately hot sunny days. And real turf is degraded quickly under daily use.
Wow, life's just full of drawbacks, isn't it.
I think more playing time for more teams means they can use the field for non HS games (think pee-wee soccer, kickball, and beer-league softball) without worrying about wearing out the grass ... since the artificial stuff doesn't need time to regenerate or maintenance and stuff.
I'm not in a position to complain or defend.
Both artificial and natural turf have positives and negatives. Natural turf is more expensive to maintain, while artificial turf is more expensive up front. Both have types of injuries associated with them.
There is far more demand for playing fields in this region than there are fields available. Artificial turf's major advantage is it can be used 24/7. This makes it appropriate for some places.