Many reasons why schools should consider artificial turf

Perhaps old age is finally setting in.

After all, I don't know how many times I've recently caught myself telling one of my four children something that I remember my own father saying to me when I was their age.

And it seems like I must spend at least 30 minutes a day trying to find something I've misplaced around the house.

I must be getting softer with each passing year because I'm growing more weary of covering/watching high school football games played on fields better suited for farm animals.

Pigs may love to roll around in slop, and high school football players probably get an occasional kick out of it, too, but I've had enough.

Four consecutive mud-filled Friday nights will do that to a person, I guess.

The time has come for our Tri-Cities schools to seriously consider replacing the dirt - I mean grass - fields and installing some sort of artificial surface.

I realize there are pros and cons to my argument. First, there's the cost involved - upward of $750,000 from start to finish.

With the tough economic times currently facing school districts and the public in general, I understand that allocating/raising three-quarters of a million dollars to install an artificial playing surface is a difficult proposition.

"We've certainly talked about it," said Batavia athletic director/head football coach Mike Gaspari. "One of the concerns is that you need the money up front and now is not a great time to be asking the school district for money."

On the other hand, just think of the money, maintenance and extra man hours local schools have spent in recent years re-sodding the natural grass fields.

"We did some sort of work, whether it was re-sodding or re-seeding or both, every year for the five years I was there," said former St. Charles North athletic director John Rutter, now the AD at York - which coincidentally installed the artificial turf this past summer.

"Last summer, we re-seeded the middle of the field and replaced the sod and did some drainage work. And summer is not the best time to grow grass."

In the long run, installation of an artificial playing surface is more than advantageous.

"There's no question that in time it pays for itself," said Gaspari..

Maybe that's why so many suburban schools have made the change to the fake stuff in recent years - Aurora Christian, Addison Trail, Willowbrook, West Chicago, Wheaton North, Wheaton Warrenville South, Glenbard North, York, Naperville North, Naperville Central, Barrington, Lake Zurich, Lake Forest, Grayslake Central, Grayslake North, Niles North, Hoffman Estates, Conant, Grant, Stevenson, Libertyville, Carmel, Fremd, Palatine, Notre Dame and Metea Valley, just to name a few.

"It's definitely a growing trend," said Gaspari.

Rutter's biggest challenge these days is finding available practice time for all of the school's teams.

"It's nice for ADs in that you don't worry about sloppy fields," he said. "Along with that, however, is everybody wants to be on the field. It's a scheduling issue but it's a nice problem to have."

Aurora Christian enjoyed its field debut Sept. 12, 2008.

"Not only did we install the playing surface last year but it was the first football facility of any kind on campus," said Aurora Christian facilities engineer Tom Chase, who served as the project engineer.

"One of the first things I noticed was how much cleaner it was inside our building after games. It's a tough sell but once you put it down you're glad you've got it. In our case, it's been worth the investment."

It's worth the investment when you consider who all would benefit from a new field surface - not only the high school athletic teams but the marching bands, drill teams, flag teams, cheerleaders, youth athletic squads and the community.

Athletic directors would no longer have to move lower-level contests or even varsity soccer matches to other sites just to preserve the main field for Friday night varsity football games.

I can hear some of you detractors who say football is meant to be played in the elements, and that the field conditions are the same for both teams.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a proponent for domed stadiums.

But I would like to see a game where a running back could make a cut without falling flat on his face - and a center could snap the ball somewhere in the vicinity of the quarterback, not 10 feet over his head.

From a fan's standpoint, I want to see the best possible product on the field - not a game with a limited offensive playbook.

"Our linemen flat out told us, 'we can't get our footing,'" St. Charles East coach Mike Fields said after last week's sloppy 7-3 victory over Neuqua Valley.

"I watched the films from the Geneva-Rochelle game and felt the field conditions played a big impact," said Gaspari. "It can be a great neutralizer."

Rutter figures it's just a matter of time before the Tri-Cities make the switch.

"I believe you'll see it in place over the next couple years," he said. "Eventually that will happen."

Until then, I'll make sure my beat-up gym shoes are well within reach before I head out to Friday night's game.

"I don't mind a muddy game - as long as it's on somebody else's field," said Geneva athletic director Jim Kafer.

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