SportsTurf Managers Association (STMA) has been doing research and documenting the differences and benefits between natural grass versus synthetic turf sports fields. Some recent publications help communities and sports turf manager tell the story to those that will be paying the bills as well as using the surfaces.
STMA's Natural Turf Benefits Informational Sheet.
"It is becoming more common that high schools and parks and recreation departments are replacing their natural grass playing surfaces with synthetic fields. The reason is often due to the belief that synthetic surfaces are less expensive and easier to maintain than natural surfaces. Synthetic is not an effective replacement if lower maintenance costs are the goal. In addition, it is not a solution to natural grass fields if they are being replaced for aesthetic reasons because they are worn out in the center at the end of the season. The following resource provides a detailed look into the benefits, disadvantages and cost effectiveness of maintaining natural grass fields for recreation."
http://www.stma.org/_files/_items/stma-mr-tab2-3300/docs/naturalgrassfields.pdf
STMA has produced a MS PowerPoint slide presentation that can be modified for an individual facility purpose. This 32 slide presentation puts some of the technical language in layman's terms to help a city council, school board, and booster club understand the whole picture between the debate on natural grass and synthetic turf. The presentation makes some excellent points on environmnetal benefits, participants health benefits, injury, player preferences, construction costs, maintenance costs, and uses a case study illustration.
As Fall sports get under way, it is important to make certain your fields are safe and playable. STMA has put together educational bulletins to help your facility be at its best.
• Football/Soccer Field Safety and Maintenance Checklist
• Baseball/Softball Field Safety and Maintenance Checklist
• Football Practice Techniques that Help to Minimize Field Wear
• 8 Steps to an Easy Field Facelift
• Top 10 Tips on How to Create a Successful Partnership with your Field Provider
When it comes to field marking tips Tru Mark Athletic Field Marker has produced helpful information for a variety of field marking tasks, from a desktop field layout tool (soccer, rugby and lacrosse), laying out field stencils to include the amount of paint needed, items to consider when selecting a field marking unit, and painting strategies.Labels: Sports, Trends, Turf _Tips