Turf Field Craze

While over 17 school districts across Central New York have made the switch to artificial turf facilities, Jamesville-DeWitt High School will preserve the long-standing tradition of a grass playing field for their athletes.

A neighboring school district, East Syracuse-Minoa High School, recently installed a turf field in the spring and summer of 2009. Before this year, the grass playing fields in ES-M were ruined by rainy weather, resulting in deplorable playing conditions for the remainder of the season. Eventually, an artificial turf field was installed, which was paid for through the New York State Excel Aid program, meaning taxes did not increase for the ES-M school district.

"(Our goal was) to create a multi-purpose field that could be used for all," says Bill McEachron, athletic director of the ES-M school district. "We look forward to having a multi-use facility that can handle the Syracuse weather conditions."
And boy, has it ever served its purpose. Starting this fall, the varsity soccer and football programs were first to make a lasting mark on the newly renovated fields. Gym classes, marching bands, and lacrosse teams will also enjoy the luxury of an artificial turf playing field in the near future. In addition, the future stars of this community will have the opportunity to use these fields through youth soccer programs and Pop Warner Football.

Not all school districts have made this commitment to a new sports arena, however. Three Class AA schools, including Fayetteville-Manlius, Auburn, Baldwinsville, as well as J-DHS, have yet to invest in a new facility. The decision has repeatedly been turned down by voters, whose tax-dollars would pay for the renovation. Why wouldn't these voters want the best for the student athletes of their community? There are a few reasons, and some of these drawbacks have been considered by our own J-DHS.
The J-D school district considered investing in a new field, but concluded that they did not want to make this commitment. One reason was at the time, both our school and the economy were feeling the effects of the recession. "There were much more immediate concerns our school was facing at the time," J-D Athletic Director Bill Brown explains, including past roofing problems.

Another reason the J-D school district decided against installing a turf field was because some recent studies had reported that artificial fields could possibly be dangerous to athletes. Tests showed that the rubber pellets in the turf might carry carcinogens, and J-DHS administrators did not want to take these health risks.

There would also be recurring issues for our district if they were to invest in this new technology. Deciding which team could use the turf would be a constant issue, and a system would have to be created in order to ensure fairness. "If you have one turf field, everyone wants to practice on it, and everyone wants to play on it," says Mr. Brown. In order for all teams to have the opportunity to use the turf for practices, start times would begin to run later into the evening meaning less daylight, which would risk the safety of the athletes.
Fear not of the fact J-D lacks turf fields. Mr. Brown reassures that J-DHS has a luxury that many other schools do not have. While other school districts fight for only one or two practice spaces, our sports teams are offered multiple grass fields. This way, they will not become overused from day-to-day practices, conditions will not deteriorate, and there is never a lack of space for teams to use.

The athletes who will actually use these fields have mixed feelings about whether they would rather play on turf or grass. Emily Nuss, a junior at J-DHS, has had the opportunity to play on artificial turf fields through school as well as club soccer teams. And her decision is certain: she would much rather play on a grass field."(The turf is) hot on your feet, hurts when you slide, turf beads in your eyes, and I just don't like it," Nuss says. She adds that it is often difficult for a team to adjust to the fast-pace of a turf field, as opposed to that of grass.

Not everyone would resent this new renovation at our high school, however. Senior Katie Heil, who is a member of the varsity soccer and lacrosse team, would prefer a nice turf field for games and practices. "(I like turf) because it makes the game quicker," Heil explains. "There is less uncertainty of where the ball will go."

Sophomore Lucas Johnson agrees with Heil, and says he would rather experience the benefits of a turf field during the spring lacrosse season. "All the bounces are true, and you don't slip as much," Johnson says. Sophomore Henry Wilson agrees that a turf field would give the chance for sports teams to play "year around on it," instead of being limited to just one season because of field conditions.

Mr. Brown believes that in the near future J-DHS will once again consider a turf field. J-DHS students enjoy the "real class and quality" that other schools possess, and he believes our own athletes should be able to enjoy this luxury as well. "I am confidant people will look at (the decision for or against turf) differently," Mr. Brown adds, who thinks that a turf field would improve the overall quality of our school's athletic program.

So for now, J-DHS student-athletes will have to make due with the traditional grass fields that have been the battlegrounds of the many sports legends in the past. For those athletes still praying for that day when our high school invests in artificial turf, just remember; the grass is not always greener on the other side.