Turf vs. grass? Aaron Rodgers’ injury rekindles debate on Long Island

When quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon on the fourth play of the Jets’ regular-season opener, it reignited the longtime debate over the distinction between enjoying on synthetic turf vs. pure grass.

The controversy additionally hit dwelling for Comsewogue Excessive Faculty soccer participant Nick Zampieron, who broke his leg in two locations enjoying on a turf discipline throughout his first varsity recreation on Sept. 1.

“I knew Rodgers was damage after I noticed his cleat get caught beneath him within the turf,” Zampieron mentioned. “The turf is simply brutal and harmful for athletes. I’d quite play on grass. Cleats don’t get caught within the grass.”

On Lengthy Island, most excessive colleges have made the swap to turf fields. Of the 111 varsity groups, solely 11 have grass soccer fields.

Newsday interviewed greater than two dozen Island highschool coaches and college directors, and most mentioned they like turf as a result of it’s simple to take care of, dries rapidly and since gamers can run sooner and make sharper cuts. They mentioned grass fields require heavy upkeep that’s not sensible when there are a number of groups and sports activities enjoying every week. They additionally mentioned enjoying on a grass discipline that’s not properly maintained poses an elevated danger for harm.

Medical doctors say foot, ankle and knee accidents usually tend to happen on turf and that correct footwear is necessary on each surfaces.

“Our faculty simply acquired a brand new turf discipline and I adore it,” Westbury coach Charles Savalis mentioned. “I really feel like the youngsters run sooner on it, minimize tougher they usually’re stronger on it. It is unlucky what occurred to Aaron Rodgers, however it could possibly occur by slipping within the mud or placing your foot within the fallacious spot, so I am for the turf.”

Lower than 48 hours after Rodgers’ harm, the NFL Gamers Affiliation repeated its name for the league to change to grass fields, which gamers favor as a result of they consider enjoying on grass is safer and might lengthen careers. The NFL continues to argue that there isn’t any statistical distinction within the variety of main accidents — Achilles tears, ACL tears, even concussions — from video games performed on turf vs. grass.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell identified that the opposite Achilles tendon tear in Week 1, suffered by Baltimore’s J.Okay. Dobbins, occurred on grass.

‘Each accidents have been avoidable’

Zampieron is satisfied his harm, which was noncontact, might have been prevented if he have been enjoying on grass.

The senior is a star athlete who earned a scholarship to play baseball at Stony Brook College. He wished to offer soccer a do that season, and the coach was thrilled to have him on the staff.

“He’s one of many prime two athletes in our faculty,” Comsewogue soccer coach Sean Tremblay mentioned. “He’s a Division I scholarship expertise in baseball. He’s extraordinarily quick, has nice arms and is simply tremendous athletic. We have been so excited, and he was unstoppable in follow. He was going to be an impression participant.”

Zampieron made his debut in Comsewogue’s season opener in opposition to Smithtown West. On the primary play from scrimmage, Tremblay referred to as a protracted go play designed to capitalize on Zampieron’s velocity and ability.

Zampieron was open, however the go was underthrown, forcing him to sluggish as much as attempt to cease the defender from intercepting the ball.

“I pivoted to make a play on the ball and forestall an interception,” Zampieron mentioned. “And my cleat acquired caught within the turf and snapped my leg.”

Zampieron crumbled to the bottom, breaking his leg in two locations.

“I attempted to stand up straight away and after I seemed down,” Zampieron mentioned, “my leg was bent the opposite approach.”

“Rodgers solely performed 4 performs for the Jets and his season was over. I solely performed two performs, so I assume my season was shorter. Both approach, each accidents have been avoidable.”

Accidents are going to occur

Rodgers, 39, got here to the Jets this previous offseason after spending the primary 18 years of his profession with the Inexperienced Bay Packers. He had not missed a recreation resulting from harm since 2017.

The harm to Rodgers can’t essentially be blamed on the turf discipline since there was contact on the play. Rodgers beforehand argued for grass fields within the NFL, saying that grass permits cleats to tug away from the enjoying floor, which reduces the chance of harm.

The NFL Gamers Affiliation cited a examine carried out as a part of the NFL’s collective bargaining settlement that makes use of science to measure accidents. In response to that examine, there was a rise in noncontact accidents on turf vs. grass.

The NFL, citing the identical examine, defended using turf, pointing to 2021 when information for accidents on each surfaces was about equal.

“Accidents are going to occur, whether or not it’s turf or grass,” Longwood soccer coach Sean Kluber mentioned. “For our degree, I’m unsure you actually see a distinction. There are professionals and cons to grass, and there are professionals and cons to turf.”

Grass discipline challenges

Eleven Island colleges have grass soccer fields: Bellport, Brentwood, Glenn, Ward Melville, Riverhead, Sayville, Wyandanch, Amityville, Greenport, Middle Moriches and Oyster Bay. Three of these colleges — Middle Moriches, Sayville and Oyster Bay — even have turf fields and play dwelling video games on each surfaces.

The rest of colleges have made the swap to turf because of the value and problem in sustaining grass fields, which require virtually day by day upkeep. With soccer, soccer and discipline hockey all being performed in the course of the fall season, it’s tough to maintain a grass discipline from getting holes and divots, which may make the floor unsafe.

Dr. James Paci, the director of orthopedics and sports activities drugs for Orlin & Cohen in Suffolk County, served because the staff doctor for Stony Brook College for eight years, LIU for 2 and Farmingdale State for eight.

“In a really perfect world, a well-maintained, pristine grass discipline that doesn’t get chewed up is the most secure floor,” Paci mentioned. “However the potential to take care of that grass floor is close to not possible.”

Climate is also an issue. When it rains, a grass discipline might be unplayable for days, which causes scheduling points. Turf fields dry rapidly.

Buddy Krumenacker has been a highschool soccer coach for 55 years, first at Hempstead and now at Farmingdale. He agreed the work concerned in sustaining a protected grass discipline for a number of sports activities is almost not possible.

“From a sensible standpoint, you’re not going to have an ideal grass discipline at a highschool,” Krumenacker mentioned. “I’ve accomplished this without end and coached on completely horrific [grass] fields. You’re not going to have a pleasant discipline with grass right here … as a result of we play soccer on it thrice per week.”

The docs’ opinion

Dr. Megan Paulus, chief of foot and ankle surgical procedure within the Division of Orthopedics at Stony Brook Medication, mentioned there’s a greater danger for foot, knee and ankle accidents enjoying on a turf discipline.

“The velocity and skill to chop can play a giant function in accidents,” Paulus mentioned. “You’ll be able to enhance the ability and enhance the torque on the decrease extremity [on a turf field] and place the athlete in danger for sustaining an harm.”

Paci agreed that decrease extremity accidents are extra doubtless on turf, including that it may be tough accountable the floor in a contact sport comparable to soccer.

“Contact accidents turn out to be multifactorial,” Paci mentioned, “which makes it tough to 100% blame the sphere floor.”

Paci and Paulus mentioned correct footwear can play a task in serving to cut back the chance of harm.

“You don’t desire a cleat that sticks within the floor an excessive amount of and doesn’t launch,” Paulus mentioned. “Once you don’t have that good launch off a turf discipline, that’s when you’ll be able to have these foot, ankle, knee accidents.”

Sayville Excessive Faculty star operating again Kyle Messina mentioned carrying the right cleats is necessary.

“Footwear is totally completely different on grass and turf,” Messina mentioned. “After I play on turf, I would like rounded cleats on the underside and never the spikes that dig deeper into the turf. If I’m on grass, I wouldn’t put on turf sneakers as a result of they wouldn’t give me the grip that I’d must make a minimize.”

Ed Morris, the commissioner of parks and recreation for the City of Brookhaven, mentioned the city has seven multipurpose turf fields and 7 multipurpose grass fields which might be used for soccer, flag soccer, soccer, lacrosse and discipline hockey. The city additionally has 26 turf fields for baseball and softball.

The associated fee to put in a brand new turf discipline is roughly $1.2 million and the sphere has a life span of 10 to 12 years, relying on the quantity of utilization, based on Morris. Changing an present turf discipline prices about $550,000, Morris mentioned.

A grass discipline prices between $75,000 and $100,000 a yr to take care of, and a turf discipline can “pay for itself in the long term over time,” Morris mentioned.

Bellport sticks with grass

Bellport Excessive Faculty has a grass discipline that’s solely used for soccer video games. The staff practices on a separate grass discipline. The varsity has one multipurpose turf discipline for soccer, lacrosse and discipline hockey. Its baseball and softball fields are grass.

Joe Cipp Jr. coached the Bellport soccer staff for 32 years till retiring in 2010. He was the district’s superintendent from 2009 to 2012. Cipp mentioned the district thought of switching to a turf discipline 10 years in the past.

“We performed within the Lengthy Island championship video games within the early ’90s and misplaced important gamers on the unreal turf at Hofstra College,” Cipp mentioned. “We dreaded enjoying on that turf. It was like enjoying on a pool desk — the floor was so arduous.

“We had a turf discipline constructed for all of our sports activities,” he mentioned. “However soccer was staying on the grass. We don’t have high-traffic areas and worn-out sections of the sphere that create issues of safety. Our discipline is gorgeous.”

Bellport athletic director Pat Hayes mentioned it spends about $45,000 a yr to take care of the grass discipline, which is just used for 4 soccer video games.

“Grass fields should not low cost to take care of,” Hayes mentioned. “The irrigation to maintain it watered and inexperienced all season is expensive. Our grounds crew maintains the fields [and] paints the graphics and the liner of the fields. However the aeration, fertilization, seeding and weekly upkeep is subcontracted.”

“The Bellport discipline is saved in unbelievable form,” West Islip coach Steve Mileti mentioned final week.

Colleges spend money on turf fields

Colleges throughout Lengthy Island have spent tens of millions of {dollars} putting in new turf fields and upgrading their athletic amenities. In contrast to the NFL, which may afford to alter its enjoying surfaces, colleges are unlikely to return to grass.

Uniondale Excessive Faculty broke floor on a brand new turf discipline in August that’s anticipated to be full in December.

“There was a giant push for this by the scholars and group members for a very long time,” Uniondale Superintendent Monique Darrisaw-Akil mentioned on the groundbreaking. “Athletes have used the identical grassy discipline since 1949.”

The $3.85 million turf discipline and observe is the final section of a $158 million bond that was authorised by voters in 2018, and included growth, renovation and upgrades across the district. The varsity additionally plans to replace its locker and weight rooms by the top of 2024.

Hempstead Excessive Faculty is enjoying on a turf discipline for the primary time after being on grass for almost 50 years. The $6.2 million renovation plan additionally included the addition of lights, and the varsity performed its first night time recreation on Sept. 14.

“It was particular,” senior DeAndrew Leonard mentioned. “That is historical past … There was this ambiance and it simply felt completely different.”

Half Hole Hills West soccer coach Gerald Filardi was a linebacker at Penn State, which performs on grass. He mentioned most of his gamers favor the turf discipline.

“I performed at Penn State and I believe they’ve the very best grass discipline within the nation,” Filardi mentioned. “I don’t assume they’ll ever change to turf, regardless that most have. I perceive why you’d — the economics of it … However I wish to see extra grass, personally. I believe the youngsters favor turf, however I say that as a result of they’ve by no means performed on a very good grass discipline. In the event that they performed on a very good grass discipline, I believe they’d adore it.”

No regrets

Zampieron mentioned he resisted the urge to play soccer for years so he might concentrate on his purpose of enjoying Division I faculty baseball.

After his harm, he underwent emergency surgical procedure to have a titanium rod inserted from the highest of his knee via his shin bone.

Requested if he had any regrets about becoming a member of the soccer staff, Zampieron mentioned he didn’t.

“Personally, I’d have accomplished it the identical approach,” he mentioned. “You’ll be able to’t stay your life in worry. I really feel like I’m an ideal athlete as a result of I’m not afraid to take dangers and make performs.”

Laurie Zampieron, Nick’s mom, mentioned her son is already strolling with out crutches and forward of schedule in his restoration.

“If the physician says I’m wholesome sufficient,” Nick Zampieron mentioned, “and I’m good to go, I’m coming again for the playoffs.”

“That’s not taking place,” his mom mentioned instantly. “We wish you prepared for the baseball season.”

With Owen O’Brien, Roger Rubin and John Paraskevas