Synthetic Turf and Recreational Sports

The rise of synthetic turf has become a new trend among recreational facilities. According to Mike Goatley Jr., president of Sports Turf Managers Association, “They are popping up like dandelions.” With increasing participation of recreational events and the growing popularity of sports such as soccer and lacrosse, many recreational sports supervisors are finding it difficultto manage a natural grass field.

Many collegiate recreational sports programs offer  softball, soccer, flag football, and ultimate Frisbee during a fall season. These facilities may also host other events that produce ‘wear and tear’ on the field.  For example,  at Tarleton State University the recreational sports fields are also the site for band practices, track practices, youth sports and much more.. In this case, there is not a lot of time for maintenance on the fields. After a long fall semester of sports, the natural grass tends to wear down and get torn up.

This leaves no feasible option for the intramural complex but to use synthetic turf. According to the article “Ground for Innovation, Turf Trends for Today & Tomorrow’’ by Chris Gelbach in Recreation Management magazine, “artificial turf can be used safely in inclement weather conditions, and allow for almost nonstop use if lights are installed” (2013). With that said synthetic turf also drains quicker with rain, making it more adaptable to the weather. Facilities without synthetic turf, such as those at Tarleton State University, will experience frequent loss of games (rainouts) due to improper drainage.

Synthetic turf has become one of the hottest trends in outdoor recreation due to the fact that it requires less maintenance, can withstand a great deal of foot traffic, and is more adaptable to weather.