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Turf 2020 and Beyond


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On 6/26/2023 at 1:53 PM, Basementbias said:

I'll have to ask Jay County's attorney if he's heard anymore. He had the drawings & designs for all 3 of them. Believe it was due to grant $ from the state being sent to the ACAC schools. Hopefully the conference isn't requiring turf going forward, but could see it.

What high school athletic conference requires turf?  I can’t imagine too many with the authority to dictate to their members that they must have turf.  The investment in turf seems much more like a local decision made by a school corporation with no influence (other than envy) from other conference schools.  There are several conferences with mostly large urban and suburban districts as members that consist of schools which all have turf fields, but it probably wasn’t due to a conference bylaw.  I could be wrong, but I’m interested if you know of any with a bylaw like that.

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48 minutes ago, HoopsCoach said:

What high school athletic conference requires turf?  I can’t imagine too many with the authority to dictate to their members that they must have turf.  The investment in turf seems much more like a local decision made by a school corporation with no influence (other than envy) from other conference schools.  There are several conferences with mostly large urban and suburban districts as members that consist of schools which all have turf fields, but it probably wasn’t due to a conference bylaw.  I could be wrong, but I’m interested if you know of any with a bylaw like that.

No, mentioned more so because everyone in the conference but Southern Wells would have it if the plans go through. I know the ACAC & Southern Wells relationship has been better prior than it currently is. Out of all the schools, Southern Wells would benefit the most from turf after the field issues they had before. I was pretty shocked AC even considered it, let a lone had drawing & designs. I could think of more avenues that grant $ could go to compared to a turf field in Monroe. Parking lots for sure, especially if that meant buying more ground. Being tied to Adams Central & Adams County 4H the biggest mistake was the 4H fairgrounds not moving when Don Ray was offering to donate the land to move it. Guessing the current location butting up to AC to the east was donated too. The school could definitely use that land for parking & fair could have used the larger piece of land that was proposed. Another factor is Best One of Monroe/Zurcher Tire uses the fairgrounds for storage as well & having a new expo hall built.

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On 7/1/2023 at 1:13 PM, Basementbias said:

No, mentioned more so because everyone in the conference but Southern Wells would have it if the plans go through. I know the ACAC & Southern Wells relationship has been better prior than it currently is. Out of all the schools, Southern Wells would benefit the most from turf after the field issues they had before. I was pretty shocked AC even considered it, let a lone had drawing & designs. I could think of more avenues that grant $ could go to compared to a turf field in Monroe. Parking lots for sure, especially if that meant buying more ground. Being tied to Adams Central & Adams County 4H the biggest mistake was the 4H fairgrounds not moving when Don Ray was offering to donate the land to move it. Guessing the current location butting up to AC to the east was donated too. The school could definitely use that land for parking & fair could have used the larger piece of land that was proposed. Another factor is Best One of Monroe/Zurcher Tire uses the fairgrounds for storage as well & having a new expo hall built.

Honestly, AC has one of the VERY BEST turf fields in NE Indiana.  I'd have ranked it right there with Carroll (who's switched to field turf).

I have no issue with AC keeping a grass field!!!   The issue will/could be it getting chewed up by a rainy fall season that comprises all of the FB teams from Middle School through Varsity HS.  It's an occurrence that so far hasn't been an issue with AC....  

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On 7/1/2023 at 1:13 PM, Basementbias said:

No, mentioned more so because everyone in the conference but Southern Wells would have it if the plans go through. I know the ACAC & Southern Wells relationship has been better prior than it currently is. Out of all the schools, Southern Wells would benefit the most from turf after the field issues they had before. I was pretty shocked AC even considered it, let a lone had drawing & designs. I could think of more avenues that grant $ could go to compared to a turf field in Monroe. Parking lots for sure, especially if that meant buying more ground. Being tied to Adams Central & Adams County 4H the biggest mistake was the 4H fairgrounds not moving when Don Ray was offering to donate the land to move it. Guessing the current location butting up to AC to the east was donated too. The school could definitely use that land for parking & fair could have used the larger piece of land that was proposed. Another factor is Best One of Monroe/Zurcher Tire uses the fairgrounds for storage as well & having a new expo hall built.

I don’t think AC looked nearly as deep into turf as you’re implying. Also, dollars going towards a turf field would be much more than an investment in the football program. Outside of potential maintenance savings, dollars spent on turf would also be an investment in baseball, softball, PE, band and would provide the K-12 students a wider range of opportunities. 

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1 minute ago, FlyingHigh said:

I don’t think AC looked nearly as deep into turf as you’re implying. Also, dollars going towards a turf field would be much more than an investment in the football program. Outside of potential maintenance savings, dollars spent on turf would also be an investment in baseball, softball, PE, band and would provide the K-12 students a wider range of opportunities. 

Just passing along what the Jay County attorney had told me. He does have the designs/drawings though of AC, SA, & Jay County. Yes, it would go to other aspects of the school as you mentioned. I am probably in the minority, but I'd rather have grass for all the aspects you mentioned. Might be more upkeep as is, but I think it would be better on the bodies for those participating on it. Plus the SAC should be used for some of the activities mentioned if they can't practice on their respective fields. The SAC definitely  was done differently than those lobbying for it had requested in the beginning. Nice facility for sure but eliminated a good deal of parking for events.

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14 hours ago, AW0352 said:

From what I’m being told it is just Castle for the 2024 season.   Which makes sense.   5A school first. 

I have heard Castle and Boonville both for 2024. At least that was the online chatter around the time they scrimmaged a few weeks ago.

Unsure about Tecumseh. 
 

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  • 2 weeks later...

You just knew this stupidity would eventually occur regarding the  scourge known as artificial turf:  https://deadspin.com/ncaa-football-suny-morrisville-field-matt-grawrock-1850654695

Quote

Good luck with that

SUNY Morrisville and Catholic University had better hope for rain or early fall for their noon kickoff in Morrisville, N.Y. on Sept. 16. If there are any remnants of summer in the atmosphere then their cleats had better come with air conditioning because the field is going to feel like hot coals.

 

The Morrisville State administration has decided to color its home field black. That’s right, on top of the already hot tire rubber, the plastic grass will be painted black as well. I would have considered this cruel and unusual punishment for the players, but a YouTube tour of the football facility revealed an indoor space. Daily August summer football practice on a black football field is making my back droop just thinking about it.

Also not only is the football team going to play on that field, but so will all of their outdoor field sports. To the women’s soccer team that has a 1 p.m. EST home game on Sept. 6 and the men later at 3 p.m., slide tackle at your own peril. Whatever thigh meat touches the turf that afternoon might be lost forever.

 

In the school’s statement about the new turf, Director of Athletics Matt Grawrock said that he has been asked “many times” why change the field black and his reply was, “why not?”

That is leadership ladies and gentlemen. I don’t care if it’s Division III athletics or the halls of the United States Congress, that answer needs to be the tenant that guides the path of anyone who ever finds themselves in charge.

 
Why not? How does anyone respond to that? People who might have expressed uneasiness about a field in which every centimeter of it absorbs heat at an enormous capacity, but “why not,” certainly boxes someone in with those concerns. With that logic, not only is it a logical person’s job to make Grawrock see it, but do so in a way that actually grabs his attention.

Why not, yeah a statement that surely hasn’t been made before a disaster. I’m sure that every time anyone reading this story has used the phrase “why not” before acting has never regretted the consequences. It’s a foolproof life philosophy. Why not put a trip to Hawaii on a credit card when a month behind on the electric bill? Why not go to that party instead of studying during finals while on academic probation? Why not melt the cleats of your school’s athletes for the sake of attention?

The stop-and-think sign in my first-grade teacher’s classroom is a better guide for decision-making than “why not.” At least the word “think” is a part of it. Think implies that a pause is necessary to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. “Why not,” is something best said before eating one more slice of pizza than originally intended.

So athletes of SUNY Morrisville, and those who will be visiting, hope and pray for the earliest winter that central New York has ever seen. Because, the heat from that field is going to cook you all so thoroughly that the athletic trainer will be able to stick a fork in you and it will come out clean.

Waiting for the first high school to do this, and the subsequent horror of watching heat stroke in action.

 

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1 hour ago, Muda69 said:

You just knew this stupidity would eventually occur regarding the  scourge known as artificial turf:  https://deadspin.com/ncaa-football-suny-morrisville-field-matt-grawrock-1850654695

Waiting for the first high school to do this, and the subsequent horror of watching heat stroke in action.

 

What in the holy heck would make someone go with black turf?  It will be hotter than Hades on that turf.

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31 minutes ago, Ballhawk said:

What in the holy heck would make someone go with black turf?  It will be hotter than Hades on that turf.

I still am flummoxed by this turf thing.  Sure it looks good, etc., but turf toe and other injuries that can be attributed to it are very real... 

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43 minutes ago, Ballhawk said:

What in the holy heck would make someone go with black turf?  It will be hotter than Hades on that turf.

Might help that its in Morrisville, NY, which is upstate and in the general vicinity of Rochester and Buffalo, but I agree 100% that black turf is gross. So is that red turf at the school near Bloomington...

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2 hours ago, Muda69 said:

You just knew this stupidity would eventually occur regarding the  scourge known as artificial turf:  https://deadspin.com/ncaa-football-suny-morrisville-field-matt-grawrock-1850654695

Waiting for the first high school to do this, and the subsequent horror of watching heat stroke in action.

 

I'm not sure what is uglier.  The black or the red/blue/orange/yellow lines on it.  I guess the soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey teams all get to share the field as well.  And you thought band directors were protective of "field time" LOL.

But until yesterday I had never heard of Morrisville, NY.  So mission accomplished. 

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14 hours ago, tango said:

Might help that its in Morrisville, NY, which is upstate and in the general vicinity of Rochester and Buffalo, but I agree 100% that black turf is gross. So is that red turf at the school near Bloomington...

The average high there is 78, so you have a great point.  It is said turf adds 10-30 degrees, so that would still be pretty warm in August and September.

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  • 1 month later...

Franklin county wildcats with turf!!! That looks awesome!! No more long grass, and muddy fields!! If fc had that turf in early 90's, Alex Smith might of ran 4.2 40 on that field, instead of 4.4 in that long grass!! Lol

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