Sports play a large part in the extracurricular activities of our middle and high school students. Whether they play football, track, baseball, tennis, or any other sport, we want to give them the best tools to enjoy their time on the field or court. The surface they play on significantly contributes to the overall experience for our students. As you think about your student-athletes, consider these critical factors when planning your next sports surface project:
Safety
The safety of your students should always be the top priority when it comes to equipment and surfaces. There’s always an inherent risk of injury when playing any sport, but having a high-quality, well-maintained surface will be vital in reducing that risk. How do we know one surface will be safer than another?
A first step will be to consider how much you’re willing to invest into the surface. What is the capacity of your budget and maintenance staff? For example, you may want a full grass stadium for football and other sports. However, if you don’t have the resources to cut grass, fill holes, and do other maintenance, the field may become much more of a liability for your student’s safety. A synthetic field can require less maintenance and more consistency for the general surface area. It will largely depend on what kind of sports will be played on the surface and how much it will be used, but you’ll want to provide a playing area that will be within your budget and for your student's needs.
If you’re looking for a more quantitative way to determine safety, you might try some calculations to see how soft your surface is. Trying out shock absorption tests or calculating the Head Injury Criterion (HIC) can help you determine each surface's risks. Any of our vendor partners or well-run sports surface businesses should be able to provide evidence of the quality and safety of the surfaces they provide.
Location
Quite a few factors can affect if and where you decide to have a sports playing area. Each area can offer unique challenges to what types of surfaces can be used. The most significant factor will most likely be the elements of the outdoors, which can greatly affect the playing conditions.
The sun can warm some surfaces more quickly than others, especially during the summer months. Darker surfaces can become much hotter than lighter surfaces, as any experience with a blacktop parking area can tell you. This can make your athletes tired more quickly due to the warmer conditions. Some schools, for example, may want to integrate their school colors into their track surface. This may be doable for schools with lighter colors, but those with darker colors probably can’t incorporate it into their design. Having a surface near things that will block the sun, such as a forest or sitting area, can reduce some of the sun's impact. You may need to consider other unique factors, such as keeping the pitcher’s mound facing opposite the sun to avoid having the sun in their eyes during the evening hours of the game.
Weather events can also have a significant effect on your playing surface. If your surface is in a low-lying area or gets a lot of rain, how well will the drainage system be to keep a dry, non-slippery surface? Can the surface let most of the water filter through it, or will you need to install slot or trench drainage systems to filter out the rain? Will a lot of debris, such as falling leaves, find their way onto your surface? Will winds whip up the sand or loose surfacing? It will all depend on your unique circumstances, but observe what happens on the current surface or place you want to build so you know what challenges you will face.
Considerations outside your athletes
While you’ll want to have all the factors for the students in mind, you’ll also want to think about how the surface will affect everyone else. As part of your commitments to the community, you might want your surface to be open to the community for open practice and rec leagues. How easy will the field be to access and maintain? When parents and others want to attend games or events, will they need to have seating arrangements away from the field? Will they be able to sit directly on the surface? How will you protect spectators, such as if a stray ball flies towards the crowd?
You should also consider your surface’s use for other purposes, especially for large football or soccer fields. These can often be prime locations for fairs, graduation ceremonies, and other events, so ensure these can be easily traversable for all visitors. Will it be handicap-accessible or a safe surface for the youngest visitors? You can set policies on how somebody should use the surface, but it’s something you’ll want to consider for any event other than the intended purpose.
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A well-thought-out surface can become a tremendous selling point for your school. However, to not have students and the communities hyper-focus on the negatives of your new field, you’ll want to consider any pain points that might come up carefully. With the proper investment and consulting, you can have something everyone in your school district can benefit from and be proud of, especially for developing the hobbies and skills of the students you serve.
Check Out Our Vendor Partners!
AstroTurf
At AstroTurf Corporation, our surfaces are designed to deliver the ultimate sports experience for all athletes.
Whether you are looking for a synthetic turf field, running track, or athletic game court, our surfaces can meet your needs.
In conjunction with the world’s leading sports organizations, we know how to deliver on both athlete safety and performance, and custom design our athletic surfaces for recreation as well as competition.
So you can give your community or team a surface that lets kids run free and athletes play hard.
FieldTurf
In comparison to natural grass and other turf systems, FieldTurf has proven to be the best investment time and time again. Whether your main concern is long-term savings, athlete safety, field performance and durability, or environmental issues, FieldTurf has set the standard.
With a list of engineered products tailored to the specific needs of our clients, all of FieldTurf’s innovative synthetic turf products have proven to outperform and outlast other turf systems in the marketplace.
Hellas Construction
Hellas Construction, Inc. was established in 2003 and has grown to be one of the largest sports construction contractors in the United States. While specializing in the general construction of sports facilities and synthetic surfaces, Hellas also champions innovative artificial turf manufacturing, base construction, field, track and tennis planning, installation and maintenance.
Partac Peat/Beamclay
BEAM CLAY® is the brand of infield materials that have been recognized as the standard of excellence from bulk plants nationwide for baseball/softball infields for many years. In addition to infield mixes, infield conditioners, mound/home plate clays, warning tracks, we supply thousands of other sports products including bases, wall padding, windscreen, ball netting, rain covers, batting practice covers, athletic field marking materials & equipment, maintenance/field grooming tools, and more!
Sport Surfaces
Sport Surfaces Distributing, Inc. and The Robert Cohen Co., LLC have been selling and installing high quality athletic and commercial floors for over 30 years. We have gained and maintained a reputation as the premier provider and installer of high quality rubber and hardwood athletic flooring, premium outdoor running tracks and turf (MONDO) and commercial contract flooring in the health and education arenas.