Field Turf

[The Farm]

I have some questions for you FP Coaches & Parents. I appreciate any input you have.

[*]How would you feel about playing on outdoor fields that have high quality synthetic turf in the infield area?
[*]How would you feel about playing on turf that was colored to look like a youth baseball diamond with grass instead of a skinned infield look?
[*]Could you estimate for your team, the number of games that get rained out each year?
[*]Prior to HS, how early in the year did your team start playing outdoor tournaments?
[*]How late into the year will your team play outdoor tournaments?

Thank you to everyone who replies.

The Farm

[coolstuff]

I have some questions for you FP Coaches & Parents. I appreciate any input you have.

[*]How would you feel about playing on outdoor fields that have high quality synthetic turf in the infield area?
[*]How would you feel about playing on turf that was colored to look like a youth baseball diamond with grass instead of a skinned infield look?
[*]Could you estimate for your team, the number of games that get rained out each year?
[*]Prior to HS, how early in the year did your team start playing outdoor tournaments?
[*]How late into the year will your team play outdoor tournaments?

Thank you to everyone who replies.

The Farm

I don't know what your definition of "high quality synthetic turf" is, but Midwest had (has?) a synthetic surface and it was not good. It was colored green. It got slick when it was wet. The players hated it.

I could not estimate the number of games rained out each year because I can't control the weather. Some years more than others. And no matter how many, it causes headaches for coaches, teams and TDs alike. Any number I could give you would be pure guesstimation. Whatever you're planning, and if it works and teams like it, will be appreciated to some degree.

Check the websites of indoor fields and you will get a good idea about how early/late teams play indoors.

[The Farm]

Coolstuf,

Thank you for the reply.

By "High Quality", I mean turf that you would typically see on a college/pro football field or baseball field. The University of Louisville baseball field would be a great example of what I am talking about. I've been to Midwest and have seen their turf field. I am NOT talking about that type of turf.

As for estimating the number of games rained out each year, I am really just looking for, as you termed it, a pure guesstimation. I am familiar with, more than I want to be, the number of BB games that my teams have had rained out over the years and I'm only assuming that the number of SB games that get rained out are even greater due to the large skinned infield area. That's a very large area to try to work versus a much smaller area of a BB field.

Anything you can give me would be a help.

Thanks again for your help...

[slapperdad]

I have some questions for you FP Coaches & Parents. I appreciate any input you have.

[*]How would you feel about playing on outdoor fields that have high quality synthetic turf in the infield area?
[*]How would you feel about playing on turf that was colored to look like a youth baseball diamond with grass instead of a skinned infield look?
[*]Could you estimate for your team, the number of games that get rained out each year?
[*]Prior to HS, how early in the year did your team start playing outdoor tournaments?
[*]How late into the year will your team play outdoor tournaments?

Thank you to everyone who replies.

The Farm

*I don't know that it would bother me any.
*Softball is not meant to be played with a grass infield, it's a horrible game on grass. As far as the color who cares?
*Varies greatly from year to year.
*Since high school season starts in early March, we don't usually get outside prior to the start of high school season.
*End of October, however October can be a little dicey.

FYI, Sport Zone has installed Field Turf, it's no longer Astro Turf, there's nothing wrong with the new surface.

[Mick]

I have some questions for you FP Coaches & Parents. I appreciate any input you have.

[*]How would you feel about playing on outdoor fields that have high quality synthetic turf in the infield area?
[*]How would you feel about playing on turf that was colored to look like a youth baseball diamond with grass instead of a skinned infield look?
[*]Could you estimate for your team, the number of games that get rained out each year?
[*]Prior to HS, how early in the year did your team start playing outdoor tournaments?
[*]How late into the year will your team play outdoor tournaments?

Thank you to everyone who replies.

The Farm

I think I know where you are going with this and I applaud your thinking. Rain outs and delays are not fun. It is not just the lost games, but anytime there is a delay greater than 2 hours then the rest of the tournament will be played with 1 hour games.

* We tolerate field turf in the winter because it is all we have. Would prefer dirt but also not fond of waiting for the dirt to dry, or playing in the mud.

* As long as it is not optic yellow, the color is meaningless.

* Depends, 3 years ago we played close to 70 games and had one 2 hour delay. Last year was bad. Youngest dd had an entire tournament cancelled. Our team lost 2 full days and 3 other afternoons to rain. A number of those were made up, but we played way too many 1 hour time limit games last year.

* We usually start around April 15th.

* We try and finish by the second weekend in October.

[The Farm]

slapperdad - thanks for the reply and I am glad to know that the sportszone has installed a better surface. Too many kids have been hurt over the years on the old stuff.

Mick - I'd love to be able to elaborate more on what I am working on, but unfortunately I can't at this time. However, it's easy to see that we are exploring options as it relates to SB/BB and field utilization.

With that being said, one thing obviously being considered is utilizing a synthetic surface to try to eliminate those rainouts, delays and shortened games. In a perfect world, both could be incorporated, allowing most of the SB games to be played on a natural surface but would also dictate that some games be played on synthetic surface depending on the number of games, available diamonds, days involved, etc.

I do appreciate your input and look forward to hearing more. And please, don't be afraid to post any negative feelings on the subject. We want to hear it all...

[coolstuff]

I'm only assuming that the number of SB games that get rained out are even greater due to the large skinned infield area. That's a very large area to try to work versus a much smaller area of a BB field.

Anything you can give me would be a help.

Thanks again for your help...

I feel that getting wet fields to dry faster isn't the issue. The true test will be whether or not players and coaches like playing on an artificial surface after being used to dirt infields and real grass outfields, whether wet or dry.

[etx bd]

There are fields like you are describing in Beaumont TX. Ford Park is a top field that is used heavily. They have 12 softball fields. We played there last week end - its not a bad surface. The only dirt on the infield is a wedge from the pitchers plate to the front edge of the circle. Even the batter's boxes are turf.

Here's some photos http://www.fordparktx.com/gallery.aspx?galleryid=34#4

[gunshy]

Coaching a 16u team, which cannot begin outdoor play until mid-june, I see few situations that a synthetic infield would actually make a difference during summer play. We lost no games last summer to rain, but did lose some this fall. Problem is, fall and spring often have all-day soaking type rains; I wouldn't want my team playing in the rain on wet field turf anyway. The rains we had in St Louis a few weeks ago would have rained out a canoe race, field turf or not; the parking lot was flooded! Not trying to be the eternal pessimist, and I love the forward thinking for our sport, but we actually spend more time waiting for lightening to pass than we spend waiting for fields to dry in the mid-summer season. Field turf is a very expensive proposition to install and I am sure this cost would eventually filter down to the users; just not sure that the end would justify the means for older teams who play almost exclusively in mid-summer. I am not sure, but maybe a better option to changing the playing surface is to have a cover (tarp system) for the existing surface. Games are not going to play during a thunderstorm regardless of the surface.

[looking in]

Well said Gunshy! Plus there is that nasty turf hop you have to fix every spring after playing indoor all winter. Going back and forth from dirt to turf could be very interesting in the summer! The ones in TX look pretty nice though!