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Aren’t sports meant to be played on natural turf?

That’s what I thought when I first heard Mount Union College (now University) was trading in its natural grass for an artificial field in the summer of 2002. It wasn’t until after I investigated this new breed of synthetic turf that my perspective changed, and it led to my new career in the synthetic turf industry.

Today, the proposed House Bill 605 would require Ohio professional sports stadiums that seat 10,000 or more and host preseason, regular season, and postseason events to be 90% natural grass.

While this may sound harmless at first, there are many issues with this bill. First, it’s based on the false narrative that synthetic turf isn’t safe. Secondly, it requires our government get involved in negotiations between team owners and professional athletes who already have player’s unions.

And finally, this bill will limit opportunities for our communities and increase costs for taxpayers by reducing the type and number of events that can be hosted on these professional fields.

Considering the potential ramifications related to the introduction of this bill, I wanted to take a moment to set the record straight on this bill and synthetic turf.

About Bill 605

State Reps. Rodney Creech, R-West Alexandria, and Terrence Upchurch, D-Cleveland, Bill 605’s primary sponsors, say it will provide professional athletes with safe, suitable work environments.

However, Rep. Creech owns Lawn Plus LLC, which has a natural turf sports field installation and maintenance division. The bill is awaiting consideration by the Economic and Workforce Development Committee, of which Upchurch is a member. These facts represent potential conflicts of interest.

The bill would immediately impact the Cincinnati Bengals’ Paycor Stadium and Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, which hosts the NFL Hall of Fame Game. It could also affect the Cleveland Browns’ plans for a new indoor stadium and many minor league teams.

Ohio communities would feel repercussions beyond sports because of various events that could only take place on synthetic turf fields including concerts, festivals, and shows.

Inside Experience

Having been in the synthetic turf industry for 22 years, I’ve been involved in thousands of projects, including fields at all levels — little league through professional. Local northeast Ohio examples include Mogadore High School’s football stadium field, Malone University’s soccer field, the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Tom Benson Stadium, and most recently the Cleveland Browns indoor training facility.

Today’s synthetic surfaces aren’t your father’s artificial turf. They’re far superior to the carpet on concrete of the 1970s. For example, Tom Benson Stadium’s synthetic turf is a state of the art, multi-fiber grass surface with a specialized infill installed over an engineered shock pad.

Advantages of modern synthetic turf include a more consistent playing surface and greatly increased playing time with much less maintenance than natural grass.

Almost every professional sports team chooses to practice on synthetic turf because of the benefits it offers.

In most situations, like youth or high-school-level sports, the high use and limited maintenance budget results in the poor condition of these natural fields. A well-installed and maintained synthetic field performs better than these grass surfaces and provides much more opportunity for youth engagement.

More Grass Facts

Natural grass can’t be used indoors and there are various environmental regulations. Water runoff from synthetic surfaces is cleaner with fewer toxins than natural-grass fields containing fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.

Natural surfaces are required to complete minimal testing and vary greatly, based on environmental conditions. Synthetic turf undergoes rigorous testing and plays consistently throughout the season.

A well-installed and maintained synthetic surface provides up to 10 times more use than that of a natural-grass field. Other advantages of synthetic turf include reliability, cleanliness, and increased athletic performance with very strict industry safety metrics.

According to numerous studies and research projects from the NFL to MLS to the NCAA and beyond, infilled synthetic turf doesn’t increase the rate of serious injuries for players. The bottom line is there’s virtually no difference in the risk of injuries, including ACL and Achilles tears, between synthetic turf and natural-grass surfaces.

We fear even the introduction and discussion of this bill falsely questions the safety and benefits of synthetic turf and therefore could limit opportunities for athletes of all ages to engage in sports.

Outside Support

The Ohio High School Athletic Association sees advantages of synthetic turf.

“Artificial turf surfaces are durable and give the most consistent playing surface throughout various types of weather and constant usage, compared to grass fields that can wear down to dirt quickly,” the association said.

State Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus, R-Paris Township, called Bill 605 “an ill-conceived play against free-market principles that arbitrarily favors one sports turf industry over another.”

“Our sports leagues already enjoy a level playing field that allows them to choose whichever turf suits their needs,” he said. “I think we as legislators should sit this one out.”

What the Future Should Hold

We prefer to see continued development of natural and synthetic field technology by the leading companies in those spaces. This would ensure player safety, promote innovation, and allow the marketplace to determine the best surface for each environment.

We hope the committee takes a common-sense approach and sees the advantages of synthetic turf. We owe it to our athletes — from professionals to t-ballers — to allow the best playing surfaces for their unique needs.

We encourage you to share your opinion on this matter with your local legislators.

It might just have an important impact on the future of sports here in Ohio.

Karmie co-founded ForeverLawn, a leader in the synthetic turf industry. The company improves spaces and communities through innovative synthetic grass solutions.