As the longtime athletic trainer at South Portland High School, I am writing to urge South Portland voters to vote “yes” on the athletic complex project.
The artificial turf surfaces are much safer and more environmentally friendly than earlier iterations of artificial turf. Studies from the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine and American Journal of Sports Medicine have found the overall injury rates were significantly higher on natural grass than on artificial turf. Players were nine times more likely to sustain an ACL injury during practice on grass compared to practicing on artificial turf, overall rates of injury are similar between the two surfaces, and researchers also found only a .05 injuries per game difference between synthetic turf and natural grass when examining 2,174 in-game injuries.
Finally, researchers have stated that it is a misconception to say that natural grass is uniformly better than artificial surfaces for preventing injuries.
John Ryan, Ed.D., LAT, ATC, RAA
Cumberland Foreside
Send questions/comments to the editors.
We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is found on our FAQs. You can modify your screen name here.
Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve.
Join the Conversation
Please sign into your Press Herald account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe. Questions? Please see our FAQs.