Pirates clearly deem new ‘grass’ greener

Rick Devereux

Fourth in a series

“Oh earth, what changes thou hast seen!”

The lines from Alfred Tennyson were not written about the

renovations taking place at Orange Coast College. It only seems that

way.

Thanks to a $370 million bond passed in November, 2002, the

Pirates were able to fix aging structures in the athletic department

like LeBard Stadium, and replace others like the soccer field. Plans

are in the works to relocate the softball field and improve the

baseball diamond.

All of these projects have one common element in FieldTurf.

The synthetic surface is the new field for the soccer teams, will

be the new field for LeBard Stadium and is being talked about lining

the baseball field in the future.

The thought of a synthetic playing field conjures images of the

Houston Astrodome, New Orleans’s Superdome, Philadelphia’s Veterans

Stadium and New Jersey’s Meadowlands lined with AstroTurf. But the

problems associated with AstroTurf -- turf toe, rug burns, knee

injuries, etc. -- are not linked with the FieldTurf.

“In the early days of AstroTurf, you’d see the professional

football players with the big strawberries,” OCC Athletic Director

Barbara Bond said. “[FieldTurf] is just so different from the early

days of AstroTurf. This is pretty comfortable stuff.”

The design of FieldTurf makes it more grass-like than AstroTurf.

AstroTurf and other synthetic surfaces are layered by concrete, shock

pads and then a carpet. Over time, the shock pads wear down to such a

degree that players are basically playing on a carpet on top of

concrete.

FieldTurf is sewn together like a quilt and then covered with a

mixture of rubber and sand that weighs 10-pounds per square foot. The

mixture is what holds the synthetic rubber in place and is created to

ensure a softer cushion for players.

“The sand is engineered so that it’s totally round,” Bond said.

“There aren’t any sharp edges on a grain of sand, which we don’t even

think of, but I’ve had to think of since this project.”

OCC is the center for many community activities such as Golden

West College and high school football games, youth soccer

tournaments, local band practices, Easter sunrise services and

fireworks shows. Because of the extensive use, the natural grass in

LeBard Stadium became muddy in the rain and then dried out to dirt

for the rest of the year.

“That’s one of the bonuses in putting in a synthetic turf,” Bond

said. “Certainly the field itself will lend itself to year-round,

24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week usage.”

Santa Barbara City College installed FieldTurf in La Playa Stadium

two years ago and OCC men’s soccer coach Laird Hayes was impressed

with the pitch.

“[Our team has] played on it twice,” Hayes said. “That was the

impetus to get it. [Our players] loved it and had no complaints at

all. We’re looking forward to it.”

Santa Barbara City mens soccer coach Ken Newdorp said the

FieldTurf is a smart decision for a multi-purpose field.

“This is perfect for community colleges’ budget,” he said. “The

main benefit is in the upkeep. Basically, you just have to take an

hour a week, and with natural grass, hours were spent a day to keep

it alive.”

FieldTurf is one of the more expensive products on the market. The

entire soccer field renovation, which includes adding palm trees

along the east side, costs $1.7 million. But Bond and other OCC

officials believe the benefits are worth the price.

“We’re so limited in our space now, and that was a key in deciding

about FieldTurf,” Bond said. “You don’t have to give it a chance for

regrowth.”

OCC football coach Mike Taylor, who played on AstroTurf when he

was in college, said he sees FieldTurf as being better for the

players.

“I know [the administration] looked at different brands,” he said.

“FieldTurf is not the cheapest, but they looked at the big picture

and decided it was the best. When I played on AstroTurf, you got

massive burns and had to cover all exposed areas that might rub

against the ground. This is softer and a better surface.”

Besides burns, players on AstroTurf run the risk of spraining a

toe. The injury, often called turf toe, is painful but can usually be

played on until it worsens. And the natural grass at OCC was

deteriorating due to over use, which caused other health risks.

“The fields had more than a few dips and divots,” athletic trainer

Evonne Durand said. Those irregularities were a major source of

sprained knees and ankles for athletes and students in physical

education classes, Durand added.

“And when AstroTurf wears away, there is a greater chance for

people to get shin splints. I’ve been out on the FieldTurf and it has

more of a natural feel of grass. It is so much better that Astroturf.

It gives you a spring to your step.”

Another feature that will change with the new surface is the

elimination of a crown -- elevating the portion of the football field

between the hash marks that creates a downward slope toward both

sidelines, to aid water runoff. The new surface will form a flat

field that should promote greater stability for players during

competition.

The fields come with a 10-year guarantee, but the Pirates foresee

it lasting twice as long if it is properly maintained.