(KNOXVILLE, Tenn.) – From the little leagues to the big leagues, injury prevention and performance are key issues in today’s sports world. Turfgrass scientists at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and AstroTurf® have partnered on a research program to address these problems.
The University of Tennessee and AstroTurf® dedicated the Center for Athletic Field Safety (CAFS) this week. The center is a one-of-a-kind facility dedicated to researching the performance and safety of natural and synthetic turf surfaces used on athletic fields. It represents the single largest athletic field research effort ever undertaken. Ceremonies were held at the research site located at the UT Institute of Agriculture’s East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Knoxville, Tennessee.
“Great universities and public/private partnerships provide ideal solutions that make a difference in people’s lives; in this case, the lives of athletes,” Dr. Joe DiPietro, President of the University of Tennessee told a capacity crowd as they overlooked 60 to-scale miniature athletic fields. “We wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for the Peeples family and AstroTurf®,” he said.
“This is a very important day for me and my family,” Bryan Peeples, President of AstroTurf®, said. “Involvement in the center gets to the core of what we are all about. Like UT, we are in the solutions business for the textile and synthetic turf industries. As soon as we can get these research findings out, AstroTurf® and others on the open market can use this information to make safer fields for athletes.”
University of Tennessee Head Football Coach Derek Dooley was on hand and echoed Peeples’ sentiments.
"I think it's a real tribute to what our university's all about," Dooley said. "It's finding solutions, taking your intellectual capacity, using the university to find solutions for America, and that's what we're doing."
“Our goal is to make fields safer at all levels of play. This center is a canvas for collaboration, affecting not only turfgrass study but areas of study such as biomechanics and human kinetics on a national level,” said Dr. John Sorochan, Co-Investigator and Associate Professor of Plant Science.
The two-acre Center for Athletic Field Safety aims to make a long-term difference. While determining the safety and performance of synthetic turf products compared to various natural turfgrass systems, UT turfgrass scientists will also monitor these relationships over time. Additionally, they will evaluate the
environmental impacts of each system. The research should lead to the development of new, more accurate methods for testing the safety and performance of all synthetic turf systems.
“Injuries are a huge concern in all athletics. The CDC has shown in studies that $49 billion is spent every year in medical and legal expenses due to injuries affecting children under 14,” said Dr. Jim Brosnan, Co-Investigator and Assistant Professor of Plant Science.
“Studies have shown that 25 percent of injuries that occur in athletics are potentially related to the conditions of the playing surface, while others have shown 50 percent of all sports injuries are preventable. We need to learn more about how athletes interact with playing surfaces.”
Natural surfaces are planted with Bermuda grass, Kentucky bluegrass and others. Both mechanical and human studies will be performed to create “real play” conditions. The research will be scientifically based for statistical analysis. In addition, the geographic location of the site will enable scientists to conduct research on a variety of surfaces from both cool- and warm-season climates. The unique outdoor research facility comprises 60 small-scale athletic research fields constructed from a variety of playing surfaces. UT turfgrass scientists will compare the safety and performance of synthetic playing surfaces to natural grass surfaces. Field qualities will range from those employed for professional–level sports to surfaces used by schools, public parks and recreation fields.
The UT Center for Athletic Field Safety will also further education for University of Tennessee students, enabling UT Plant Sciences faculty to add another level to the curriculum to train and educate future sports turf practitioners.
It was clear that this center will have a much anticipated impact. The event was attended by dignitaries such as Coach Dooley, Washington Nationals Vice President Bob Boone, and NFL Players Association Assistant Executive Director Clark Gaines, among others.
The importance of this research was underscored by concluding remarks from NFL player Eric Berry.
“As a football player, I trust the fields that I play on to respond to my movement, stops and changes of direction. As I’ve learned first-hand, an unsafe field can quickly result in loss of performance or injury. When I partnered with AstroTurf® in the summer of 2010, I learned about what makes a safe surface from the soil up. Whether natural turf or artificial, researching safer playing surfaces is something I believe in whole-heartedly. With the support of the University of Tennessee and AstroTurf®, I can’t wait to see how students and faculty are able to advance the safety of athletic surfaces. Congratulations on dedicating this one of a kind facility,” said Berry.
About The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture provides instruction, research and public service through the UT College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; the UT College of Veterinary Medicine; UT AgResearch, including its system of 10 research and education centers; and UT Extension with offices in all 95 Tennessee counties. The Tennessee Turfgrass team members have developed turfgrass management programs for sports field managers and have served as consultants to the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the PGA of America and professional soccer teams. They advise and consult internationally with sports field managers for cricket, soccer, football, golf, baseball and Olympic venues. For more information on UT’s turfgrass program, visit http://www.turf.tennessee.edu/ or http://www.tennesseeturfgrassweeds.org/
About AstroTurf®
For many athletes and sport enthusiasts, the iconic AstroTurf® brand has redefined the way the game is played. The company offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging a truly vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf®-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority and safety. Recent innovations from AstroTurf® include GameDay Grass™ 3D with RootZone®, a polyethylene/nylon hybrid system which most closely replicates natural grass; and AstroFlect™ technology which significantly reduces turf surface temperatures. To learn more, visit www.astroturfusa.com
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If you would like additional photographs, please email Connie Geddings at geddin00@utk.edu
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