The Pinnacle of a new football stadium in 2024—it’s a shiny turf field. Take a look at teams across the area: Homestead has turf, Dwenger has it, every school in the Fort Wayne community has it, Concordia has it, and in 2021, Carroll got its own turf field.
The upsides to turf are tremendous. The 1st reason they are incredible is that the maintenance required to maintain a turf field is much lower than that of traditional grass, which must have abundant water and sunlight to grow, which is at a premium in Indiana during the later half of the season.
Turf doesn’t need to be mowed and trimmed weekly or even more during the off-season, the turf that is out at the football field uses rubber pellets, is the only maintenance that is done on the field is adding new pellets at the end of the season and using a vehicle to drag the pellets across the field before a game to distribute the existing pellets evenly.
That’s not the only benefit of turf. One often overlooked benefit of turf is the reduced laundry directly from its grass counterpart.
During games that happen in rain or snow, every jersey is covered in mud at the end of the night, which takes longer to get out and wears out quicker than just a normal wash without having grass stains on a jersey.
37% of football fields in the state have turf on the playing surface, with a vast majority of them in classes 4A and up, with a few exceptions down to 3A. Teams that have turf win games, too, with the first team to put turf down 20 years ago being none other than Center Grove.
The Trojans are on their third turf field and have experienced tremendous success on 2 out of the three fields, with three back-to-back Championships to show for it.
Another team that has won with turf is the Chargers. Since the turf was installed in 2021, the Chargers have made program history, appearing in the state title game and winning three out of four sectional titles.
The Chargers have only lost 3 times at the new stadium: one in the first game of the stadium to Luers, one in regionals to Westfield, and one to HSE this year.
Turf fields, however, aren’t just about shiny aesthetics or winning records. Beneath the surface lies a growing controversy. Despite all the benefits of turf, it comes with a dark side—injuries.
The Reality of Turf-Related Injuries
For all its convenience and durability, turf is not without its risks. Many athletes and medical experts argue that playing on turf increases the likelihood of certain types of injuries compared to natural grass. One of the biggest concerns is the heightened risk of non-contact injuries, particularly to the lower body.
Turf fields are less forgiving than grass when it comes to traction. The rubber infill and synthetic fibers provide more grip than natural grass, which can be a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, athletes can make quicker cuts and faster movements, but on the other hand, this added traction can cause joints and ligaments to absorb unnatural amounts of stress. The result? A surge in injuries such as ACL tears, ankle sprains, and hamstring strains.
Studies have shown that the risk of ACL injuries is significantly higher on turf than on natural grass. A study conducted by the NFL from 2012 to 2018 found that players were 28% more likely to sustain a non-contact lower extremity injury on artificial turf compared to grass.
The rigidity of the turf surface, combined with its inability to absorb impact as effectively as soil, contributes to these alarming statistics.
A major concern is the impact of overuse injuries.
Turf doesn’t offer the same natural cushioning as grass, meaning that repetitive activities like running and jumping can lead to stress injuries over time. Shin splints, stress fractures, and plantar fasciitis are all common ailments among athletes who train and compete regularly on turf fields.
Heat and Burn Risks
Turf fields also present unique hazards unrelated to the type of injuries typically associated with grass. One major issue is heat. During the summer months, turf can become dangerously hot, with surface temperatures reaching over 150 degrees Fahrenheit on sunny days.
Athletes playing on these scorching surfaces are at greater risk of heat exhaustion and dehydration, and the intense heat can even cause burns through their cleats.
Turf fields are notorious for causing “turf burn.” When players slide or fall, the synthetic fibers can scrape the skin, leaving behind painful abrasions. Unlike grass, which softens these impacts, turf offers little in the way of cushioning during falls.
Turf burns are more than just cosmetic; they create open wounds that are vulnerable to infections, especially during games where sweat and bacteria are plentiful.
Grass: The Safer Alternative?
Natural grass, while more labor-intensive to maintain, has some inherent safety advantages. Grass provides a softer, more forgiving surface that absorbs impact and reduces the risk of traumatic injuries. In addition, the reduced traction on grass allows players’ cleats to release more easily, lowering the likelihood of twisting or hyperextension injuries.
Grass fields also tend to have more consistent temperatures, even during summer months, reducing heat-related risks. While rainy weather can turn a grass field into a muddy mess, many athletes prefer the softness of mud to the harsh abrasiveness of turf.
Striking a Balance
Despite its drawbacks, turf isn’t going anywhere. Its practicality and cost-effectiveness make it an attractive option for schools and sports organizations with tight budgets. But as the prevalence of turf fields increases, so does the need to mitigate its risks.
Athletes and coaches can take steps to reduce the likelihood of injuries on turf.
Proper footwear designed specifically for artificial surfaces can improve safety, as can regular maintenance to ensure the surface remains even and debris-free. Some manufacturers are also exploring new turf technologies that mimic the safety and softness of natural grass more closely.
The debate over turf versus grass is unlikely to fade anytime soon. While turf may reign supreme in terms of convenience, the risks it poses cannot be ignored. Whether it’s the convenience of turf or the safety of natural grass, one thing is certain: the choice of playing surface matters, not just for performance but for the long-term health and safety of athletes.
In the end, whether you’re playing on grass or turf, the game remains the same. But as more data emerges, it’s clear that what’s underfoot can make all the difference in how athletes play and how they stay safe.
Some of the athletes at Carroll have suffered some of these injuries, including multiple members of the girl’s soccer team, which saw three players tear an ACL from games that occurred on turf.
Other injuries on turf that I have seen on turf have been pretty gruesome for example, in 2023, in a football game vs. Wayne at Wayne, a player got his foot stuck in the turf on a catch attempt, which led to him taking a hit while his leg planted very weird and it led to a broken leg ending the season for WR.
A similar incident occurred at Carroll during the semi-state game, where a player got caught up and then pancaked and clocked, which led to his leg breaking as well.
I don’t think anything will happen because of a few instances, but it’s something to keep an eye on this upcoming season.
