Anyone with artificial turf experience?

Our local school district is in the middle of a new referendum to up upgrade.

They want to spend 37 million dollars for the upgrades which totals 57 million dollars with interest.
Two-thirds of the cost will be for Athletic related upgrades. This includes a 10 million dollar Fieldhouse and artificial turf for most of the playing fields.
They claim the Fieldhouse will be used for multiple school activities yet the fools still call it a "fieldhouse".

You would not believe the tension around town over this project.

Below is a link to the project if anyone is interested.

www.dekalbcentral.net...


My question is about the artificial turf. You can find all kinds of information about the artificial turf online. I was wondering if anyone here had any practical experience with this type of playing field.

I was looking for some first-hand knowledge and not a sales brochure for or against this product. Any help would be appreciated thanks in advance.

a reply to: Bluntone22

Yes, I've played tennis on it and it is ok, it changes the bounce of the ball but actually feels good to play on.
I know that artificial turf has seen amazing improvements over the years. The downside is that toward the end of the life of turf it just looks so darn bad.

You said you didn't want any info for or against, but I just want to put it out there that there have been some cancer related issues with turf, (mostly the backing) just something to look into with kids playing on it.

A school in Wisconsin got a lot of flack over their improvements, check out this high school locker room. It rivals most
colleges, complete with air conditioning for the players shoes... Seriously, you can't make this stuff up!

a reply to: Bluntone22

My friends that play football always complain about it. They tell me they had to get different shoes to play on it. But that is not firsthand experience.
As far as the field house goes, back in the day our city did the same exact thing. The fieldhouse was mainly used for botany.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I'm sure the new locker room improved the s.a.t. scores of the school too....lol

One selling point they are using is bringing more kids to the district.....
$57 million for how many new students exactly?

But anywho..
You played tennis on this turf.
Is it the same stuff they are putting on football fields? I would think the ball wouldn't bounce on a football field to well but I've never been on one either.

a reply to: Bluntone22

Our putting green at the CC is astroturf. Ball doesn't roll like on the froghair.

a reply to: Allaroundyou

I seriously doubt this will be used for a whole lot more than sports.
One of the projects is building a new grandstand and press box for the football field too.
On the opposite side than it currently sits so the sun won't be in the home crowds eyes.....

originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: Bluntone22

Our putting green at the CC is astroturf. Ball doesn't roll like on the froghair.

I doubt that it's the same underlayment though.
Not to many collisions on a golf course except maybe drunks playing demolition derby.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: JAGStorm

I'm sure the new locker room improved the s.a.t. scores of the school too....lol

One selling point they are using is bringing more kids to the district.....
$57 million for how many new students exactly?

But anywho..
You played tennis on this turf.
Is it the same stuff they are putting on football fields? I would think the ball wouldn't bounce on a football field to well but I've never been on one either.

I think it is the same stuff but cut at a different length. Keep in mind the new stuff looks absolutely nothing like the old scraggly kind of turf. The new stuff could actually pass as real grass, it looks really nice when new. I'm really into gardens and landscaping and a lot of homeowners are switching to this stuff, it looks good.

The other major plus, and this is really big for some states, is that you can play on it after bad weather. Most regular tennis courts you can't play on after rain, I'm sure football/soccer etc are probably similar.

I think it will bring kids to the district,(especially sports students) but not nearly enough to justify that kind of spending. These schools are freaking crazy!

a reply to: Bluntone22

Our local soccer club in the UK plays on wholly artificial turf and it works fine.

Initially there was some resistance, but this kind of 'fear of new' abd has gone away.

My kids play on both grass and artifical and say there is no noticable difference.

I'm horrified all the same at the interest charge of $20M on a $37M loan -,wouldn't it be cheaper raising bond finance?

a reply to: Doxanoxa

It's a 15 year bond so it adds up fast.
The biggest problem is that the school went with an all or nothing approach.
Nobody is complaining about the repairs but it's gotten excessive.
I'm all for new bathrooms on the softball field since they use portable ones now but the football upgrades are crazy.

a reply to: Bluntone22

i hate it, not the same as real grass, don't know anyone who likes playing contact sports on artificial turf, yes it is easier to maintain, but as a player no. It gets a thumbs down from me.

a reply to: SerenTheUniverse

Just a preference or is it about injuries and infections?

heres something to consider. is the field in direct sunlight during the hours it would normally be used? if your in a hot climate and the sun beats on it artificial turf gets blazing hot. my brother does hardscaping and artificial turf and many people love it till the first summer then they have it ripped out since they cant step foot on it without getting burned. it has really improved as a product over the years and can look and feel amazing but this is one drawback that is pretty serious if you like to do other things then just look at your grass.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: SerenTheUniverse

Just a preference or is it about injuries and infections?

bit of both, the first generation astro turf was dangerous, would really cut you unlike grass, infections not so much of a thought, but playing on real grass is my preference, every time.
eta, being tackled on a muddy soft grass pitch is way less painful than on astro turf lol

I'm guessing the OP means the turf with the tiny rubber pellets under the "grass". There is not shot you could ever play tennis with those rubber pellets. I played on it for years and never had any issues, no one i grew up with or know has any complaints either. I dont think these other posters know what you're talking about to be honest. The only thing that sucks is those rubber pieces getting in your shoes and socks! It's just like getting tackled on regular grass, maybe a tiny bit less give.
My HS was one of the first in the country to introduce it, I know hundreds of friends who have played on it.
It can be used for any event too and don't have to worry about the grass getting all torn up.

a reply to: Bluntone22

Goalkeepers hate the stuff big time and hopefully they have found a cure for the cancers the first type were giving people but many people are so lazy now they are laying it as a lawn

originally posted by: Allaroundyou
a reply to: Bluntone22

My friends that play football always complain about it. They tell me they had to get different shoes to play on it. But that is not firsthand experience.
As far as the field house goes, back in the day our city did the same exact thing. The fieldhouse was mainly used for botany.

You do. It changes the length of the clete. Watch any team used to playing on artificial turf go somewhere that has grass and you can see the adjustment.

It's like being in track and having to adjust to differing surfaces.

a reply to: 5ofineed5aladder

I assume the football field is the pellet type but I don't know if it works for soccer and baseball field..

originally posted by: 5ofineed5aladderI dont think these other posters know what you're talking about to be honest.

personally i know exactly what the OP is talking about, and the different types of astro turf, I hate them all, give me a moist grass pitch any day over that crap, you could tone down the arrogance as well, no need for it in a discussion about fake grass lol