Since the emergence of artificial turf, there has been an intense rivalry between if it is safer to play on the turf or natural grass. The argument combines across multiple sports, including football, soccer, baseball, and lacrosse. The opinions on what surface is overall better to play on varies as each type has its advantages and disadvantages. Injury still does happen often, no matter the surface.

To begin, at NKHS, there are multiple sports that use the turf field and also the grass field. Atticus Noponen, a freshman who was called up to the varsity football team later in the season, said, “I prefer to play on grass if the field is well-maintained, but if it isn’t maintained it’s tough to play on”. About physical differences between the two he said, “If the turf is cheap, it is very easy to slip and fall, and if the grass isn’t maintained well, it’s easy to injure an ankle or a knee if it is muddy and it’s not very fun to play on.” Finally, when asked what his teammates generally prefer, Noponen said, “ They probably prefer a very nice turf field over anything.”

The main pro of playing sports on grass fields is that cleats are able to create divots in the dirt, reducing the force on the body from sharp movements, preventing injury. Also, another pro is that the natural grass absorbs impact much better than turf, not worsening injuries when they do occur.

Next, some pros of artificial turf are the durability it provides through different weather types, it’s extremely low maintenance, and finally the fact that it is environmentally safe. Cons of turf are more lower body non-contact injuries, it is expensive, it must eventually be replaced, and, lastly, it absorbs significantly more heat compared to grass.

Freshman Casey Spitzer, who started on the varsity soccer team, said, “I personally prefer to play on grass fields more than turf.” Spitzer also gave his reasoning as to why each surface has a negative, “A disadvantage of turf is that it is usually hard, and playing on hard surfaces is bad for your legs/knees, so it can cause injury over time. The main disadvantage of playing on grass is that it is very hard to find smooth, good quality grass.” He said that the main advantage of playing on grass is that it is softer, and the soccer ball doesn’t skip like it does on turf. Also, he believes that turf fields are much easier to find than grass fields, which is an advantage. Lastly, Spitzer said, “ I think that playing soccer on grass is much, much safer than turf is. I think that is mainly because of the fact that it is better for your knees (less injury), and also no turf burn when sliding/on the ground.”

Overall, different sports are proven to be played better on turf than grass and vice versa. Some sports don’t require as much twisting and turning as others do, which is why turf would be a better choice for those sports, but then there are some sports that do require those sudden movements and grass would be the better option. They both have their advantages and disadvantages, yet injury still happens no matter the surface.