It seems everyone involved in athletics has an opinion about artificial turf. It gives the St. Louis Rams' offense an edge. It causes more injuries. It allows schools to have more outdoor sports. It rips the skin off your arm.
One thing, however, is undisputed about the type of playing surface used at Princeton's 1952 Stadium. It has changed the face of American sports.
Junior men's lacrosse player B.J. Prager's view of synthetic surfaces may have taken a turn for the worse last season. Late in the first quarter of a game against Cornell on April 22, the attackman was pursuing the Big Red's goaltender. Suddenly, as Prager closed in on the goalie, he crumpled to the ground, in obvious pain.
In the press box, media personnel watched the replay on a television monitor and made the following diagnosis: another artificial turf injury.
"I was chasing the goalie [and] apparently from watching it again on tape, I just fell over as he turned. I guess I tried to cut back and it just didn't happen," Prager said.
Prager had completely torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and also caused cartilage damage in his right knee. He underwent surgery this summer to repair the tear and has not played since the incident as he continues rehabilitation.
No rush to judgment
The injury was actually the second that Prager has had on artificial turf in his career — the first coming in high school on his left knee. Despite the fact that he suffered two injuries on turf that required surgery, physicians are loath to make a direct correlation between the two.
"[The doctors] can't say," Prager said. "There's nothing to prove that [the injuries] were turf-related. Doctors aren't willing to say that that's the case. I would guess that they are, just because of my experience."
Despite the view among many athletes that artificial turf causes more injuries — especially ACL tears — than natural grass fields, there is little hard evidence regarding the issue, according to Princeton's Head Athletic Trainer Charlie Thompson.
"I don't know if there's any medical evidence; there are anecdotal reports," Thompson said. "I don't know that there are any statistical reports that say AstroTurf is much worse than grass. I've seen field hockey players — with no cleats on, [wearing] flats on grass — tear their ACL. I've seen football players on grass stop, pivot and tear their ACL. And I've seen it on AstroTurf.
"I think the way the new AstroTurfs are made, we see a lot less of that. It has a lot more to do with the shoes that people wear on AstroTurf. I think there is a learning curve playing on turf. The more you're on turf, the less problems you have. You learn how to fall, you learn how to slow down and make turns and cuts."
Thompson also rejected the charge that because of its lack of padding, artificial turf causes more head injuries, especially in contact sports like football. "You may have a few more bruises [on turf], but in a lot of locations by the end of October, the [grass] fields are getting pretty hard anyway because it's getting some frost in them," he said.
"In football, with the helmet, you're not going to get a blunt trauma. You can still get a concussion, but those are concussions that nobody can stop because that's the brain moving within the skull. I don't care if you hit grass or you hit AstroTurf, your brain is still sloshing around," Thompson added.
Flat and fast
While artificial turf's correlation with injuries remains unclear, there appears to be a consensus about one thing — it increases the pace of play. From football to field hockey, the level surface of an artificial field makes running easier than on a grass pitch.
"It's definitely a lot faster on turf," junior women's lacrosse player Lauren Simone said. "The ball moves a lot faster, there's a better bounce [when] shooting. Ground balls are a lot different, because it's a lot easier to pick up a ground ball on a flat surface."
For many athletes, part of adjusting to college athletics is becoming accustomed to artificial turf, since it is extremely rare at the high school level.
"I always played on grass [in high school]," Simone said. "I didn't play on turf until I got to college. Most [college] teams are on turf, but there are a good number of teams that still play on grass. I definitely prefer turf."
For a sport like field hockey, in which the ball is constantly on the ground, artificial turf makes a world of difference. The smooth surface allows players more opportunities to showcase their talents. At the international level, field hockey is played exclusively on turf.
"For field players, you can do skills so much easier [on turf] because it's a true surface, whereas on grass you're likely to hit a bump or a divot," sophomore field hockey goaltender Kelly Baril said. "[As a goalie on turf], the ball comes a lot faster. You're more likely to put a skill on the ball because the ball won't all of a sudden bounce over your foot. It's a truer game."
While turf benefits some sports, most football players prefer to play on grass. "I personally don't like playing on it at all because it's pretty hard, and it doesn't have any give in it," senior fullback Marty Cheatham said. "It's tougher on your body."
While turf is more popular among athletes in certain sports, for many players, the preference is relative.
Despite his injuries, Prager said: "It's definitely a different game on turf and grass. I'd say each has their advantages. In high school, when I always played on grass, I liked grass. Now in college I always play on turf — I like turf. It's whatever you're used to."
Read More
Men’s and women’s lacrosse seasons come to an end after NCAA losses
Hayk YengibaryanThe men’s lacrosse team had their season ended at the hands of No. 7-seeded Maryland. Meanwhile, women’s lacrosse earned an opening-round win before falling to No. 2-seeded Boston College.
The men’s lacrosse team had their season ended at the hands of No. 7-seeded Maryland. Meanwhile, women’s lacrosse earned an opening-round win before falling to No. 2-seeded Boston College.
Jesse Marsch ’96 appointed as Canada men’s soccer national team head coach
Hayk YengibaryanAfter managerial stints with RB Leipzig and Leeds United, Jesse Marsch ’96 will be on the sidelines for the Canadian national team as they prepare to compete in the 2024 Copa America this summer.
After managerial stints with RB Leipzig and Leeds United, Jesse Marsch ’96 will be on the sidelines for the Canadian national team as they prepare to compete in the 2024 Copa America this summer.
Tigers win Ivy League Softball Tournament to get automatic NCAA tournament bid
Andrew BosworthAfter four games, three of which were against the Harvard Crimson, the Princeton softball team prevailed on Saturday to win the 2024 Ivy League Softball Tournament, earning themselves a bid to the NCAA tournament.
After four games, three of which were against the Harvard Crimson, the Princeton softball team prevailed on Saturday to win the 2024 Ivy League Softball Tournament, earning themselves a bid to the NCAA tournament.
