Schools

Wooten: Artificial Turf Would Aid Seahawks

Surface would ensure games, practices don't get moved when field is soggy, coach says.

football coach Marvin Wooten says installing an artificial turf field at the school will help the Seahawks at both practice time and game time.

"I would like to see the turf fields installed because it will definitely help out with practice time," said Wooten, a South Lakes' alum who recently finished his first season at the helm. The Seahawks finished 1-9.

to look into getting turf on two fields, the football field and one of the other athletic field in between South Lakes and Langston Hughes Middle School.

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Other community groups supporting the move to turf are Reston Youth Football, Reston Youth Soccer, Reston/Herndon Lacrosse, and the South Lakes Band.

The groups will likely have to raise the estimated $2 million to make the switch. Seven of Fairfax County Public School's 25 high schools have now installed turf. Herndon High switched last year, and supporters raised the $1.3 million to cover costs.

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 "There were several days this year where our practice fields were not in good enough condition due to rain to practice on them," said Wooten. It was frustrating to have practice cut in half because we had to go indoors and practice in the gym. Also, it took days for our practice fields to actually dry up from the rain.

Wooten pointed out that South Lakes had to switch a game to Fairfax High this season because its field was not in playing condition.

"Not only is this a inconvenience to the players and coaches but this is a inconvenience to the parents and community who have to travel to watch their kids play," he said.

South Lakes Principal Bruce Butler says adding turf would great for the school but equally important for the community.

"Fairfax County's research into the fields demonstrates that turf fields add an additional 62 percent of viable utilization time compared to grass with no rain outs, mud outs etc.," Butler says."We also get a fourth season of potential use,  barring snow."

The athletic boosters say the goal is to get the fundrasing efforts to move fast in order to get new fields by fall of 2012. Supporters will be applying for a grant from Fairfax County and youth sports leagues are looking into obtaining loans, they said. There will also be an effort to attract business sponsors.

Meanwhile, several studies point out that natural grass is a safer alternative than turf. A 2010 study by the NFL's Injury and Safety Panel says that anterior cruciate ligament injuries happen 88 percent more often on turf than on grass. Read a comparison of the two surfaces from New York's Hospital For Special Surgery Sports Medicine Department here. To read links to several medical studies looking at whether there is an increased risk of concussions on turf, click here.

Wooten and Butler both say they feel turf is safe.

"I played four years of college football at Howard University, where there is a turf field, and I never once witnessed a major leg injury due to our playing surface," Wooten said.

Said Butler: "Fairfax County experts have studied the safety issue and would not be supporting the project if it increased risk. Modern turf fields are much better than the antiquated and very hard plastic turf of years back." 

To see the boosters' turf campaign page, click here.


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