Your young athlete wants to play a field sport. Great choice! If you’ve done your research and found out all you needed about local or school programs, you might think you’re ready to go, but there are a few more things you should know. In whatever sport a child chooses to play, parents should do their homework and be empowered to ask the league, school administrators and coaches about how they handle equipment safety. According to Scott Sailor, EdD, ATC, president of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, all equipment including field goals, flooring, emergency medical equipment and Artificial Turf should be checked and in safe, working order. 

Did you know that 1 in 5 concussions are caused by players’ heads hitting a hard playing surface ? Here are four questions to ask about the artificial turf field your athlete plays on to help you be an informed sports parents, ready to make the most of his child’s youth sports experience. 

1. Is the turf field clean. Most companies that install artificial turf claim that the field does not need to be cleaned, maintained or tested for hardness. But what happens to the debris that is collected on the field? Items such as metal cleats, pins, screws, sunflower seeds, not to mention bacteria accumulated from spilled drinks, blood, saliva, sweat and bird droppings. Fields should be cleaned regularly to remove dirt, metal objects and sprayed to sanitize and remove unsafe bacteria.
2. Is the field safe? Artificial turf fields utilize a rubber infill material across the playing surface, however as the field is used, that movement of the rubber infill can create low and high spots across the turf. This produces an inconsistent running surface that can cause injuries. Additionally, the rubber infill becomes compacted down making the playing surface harder, which is a serious issue when it comes to head injuries. Head injury risk can be reduced by ensuring playing surfaces meet industry-established GMAX thresholds , standards which are utilized across the NFL and NCAA, but are not set for youth sports. Regular turf maintenance should include ensuring the rubber infill is not only spread evenly across the field, but also that it is loosened.
3. Who is responsible for the field and are they being held accountable? If a turf field is being properly maintained, there should be documentation on file. This can help show how regularly fields are being assessed and if any cleaning or maintenance services have been performed. 
4. Why is the field near me being replaced? Artificial turf suppliers are interested in replacing the field frequently, typically resulting in significant costs to schools and taxpayers, even if the fields are considered “under warranty”. Regular cleaning and maintenance extends the life and safety of an artificial turf field, saving money and our landfills. The plastic contained in one football field equals 46 million plastic straws!

Obtaining this information will hopefully help you bring awareness to the importance of artificial turf safety and answering if everything possible is being done to ensure a safe playing surface for youth athletes.

TURFCLEAN,  is a company that cares about safety of all participants using artificial turf sports fields and helping to maximize the investment in your community’s fields. Learn more about field safety today and our complete Artificial Turf Cleaning Services.