e
By RICK STOLLE
Sports Reporter
\'OTE ; This is the first of a special
(^part series.
the snap of the ball, the defen-
^ back bolted toward the line,
k®* Sudd en b'’ h e realized a pass would
be completed if he didn’t get back
ntM jnto position. He tried to cut and
win
nonnft,
)uld
^ ^'■something gave way. ^
On the artificial turf, the pain hit.
He tried to move his leg but painful
ie d up* jpjsms shot through his body. Char-
Ij^atcrs was down for the season
and nobody had touched him.
Waters’ injury in the 1979 exhibi
tion season deadt a serious blow to
tbe Dallas Cowboys’ secondary. It is
sa > »t an example of a new type of injury:
" e ra|| jon-contact injuries, which are be-
3 ' coming more prevalent in American
football today.’
Non-contact injuries occur when a
joint in the body cannot stand the
pressure the body exerts on it an
extreme movement. Non-contact in-
juries can spell disaster not only for
’ ame ^ the athlete but for his team as well.
Artificial turf, with its great
amount of traction, has been blamed
as the cause of many of these in
juries. Although no direct associa
tion has been proven, it is commonly
believed that artifical turf is a major
cause of non-contact injuries.
The injuries are unfortunate, but
can they be avoided?
As more high schools and colleges
are using artifical turf, the questions
about artificial turf s safety become
more important. Does artificial turf
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Artificial turf
It has advantages — and disadvantages, too
THE BATTALION Pm 13
THURSDAY. APRIL 24. 1M0
facturers, he said.
“When it was first marketed, the
companies promised it would eli
minate serious knee and ankle in
juries from the game,” he said.
In 1968, the Monsanto Company,
which produces Astroturf, made a
survey of football knee and ankle in
juries for the 1967 season. The sur
vey reported that 80 percent of turf-
related knee and ankle injuries
would have been avoided if Astroturf
had been used. In 1967, only three
fields in the nation had Astroturf; the
Astrodome in Houston, Seattle
Municipal Stadium and Indiana
State University’s field.
The survey concluded Astroturf
would cut down on the number of
In 1968, the Monsanto Com
pany, which produces Astroturf,
made a survey of football knee
and ankle injuries for the 1967
season. The survey reported
that 80 percent of turf-related
knee and ankle injuries would
have been avoided if Astroturf
had been used. The survey con
cluded Astroturf would cut down
on the number of serious knee
and ankle injuries in football.
Does artificial turf contribute to
injuries? Can athletes compete
on it without the danger of re
ceiving a serious injury?What
are the advantages that make it
appear so attractive to so many
be Aggr an ^ organizations?
the Si
—contribute to injuries? Can athletes
doubksi compete on it without the danger of
/ensau receiving a serious injury? What are
j tbe advantages that make it so attrac-
' lead'd bve to so many people and organiza-
^’.I ( ®hons?
In 1979, more athletes played on
ne podbflartificial tur f than ever before. An
ever rising number of high schools
going to artifical turf. Many col-
_leges now have artificial turf sta-
n C or F diums to practice and play on. It is
l ?y ea P impossible for a college team to go
id fotl brough an entire season without
■ Jeingexposed to artifical turf: at least
heldU^neteam in each conference has it..
Fifteen of the 28 professional football
learns play on artificial turf at their
me fields.
Artifical turf has not eliminated in-
mstoni uries from sports, it has just changed
^ he type, said Billy Pickard, Texas
5 tl University head trainer. Pick-
said the only actual way to pre-
„, _ ve nt injuries in football would be to
r’7? S* 0 ? Paying.
The problem came with the prom-
ses made by the artificial turf manu-
serious knee and ankle injuries in
football. It said, “there were approxi
mately six natural turf injuries to
each Astroturf injury.”
To many of the trainers and
coaches around the nation, this state
ment looked like a saving grace.
Now, they don’t make the same
claim, Pickard said. The manufactur
ers now say artificial turf will simply
reduce the amount of injuries.
“But it’s not the turf that causes
the injuries,” said David Heath,
assistant trainer for Texas A&M. “It’s
the contact on that surface.”
A solid hit can do more damage
than getting hit by a car at the same
speed, he said. The players are so big
and fast, they can easily hurt them
selves and their opponents by their
momentum at contact, he said.
“The force is channeled to so small
an area on the helmet that it actually
can do a great deal of damage.”
So far in the 1980 spring training
season, three football players have
gone down with knee injuries requir
ing surgery.
“All the injuries were due to con
tact,” said Pickard.
The contact, momentum and rules
of the game are such that injuries are
expected ocewranees, -be^saidv
Nobody likes to see an athlete
go down with an injury,,, he said.
“There can be too much traction on
the surface and the athlete will get
hurt.”
Pickard used the example of Wa
ters as a prime case. “He got too
much traction and when he tried to
cut, his foot wouldn’t give and his
knee couldn’t take the pressure.”
Pickard said traction is so impor
tant, the shoe becomes a vital con
cern to any football team.
“We feel there are some shoes on
the market that give too much trac
tion and we prefer not to use them.”
The Texas A&M football team uses
a multi-cleated shoe that costs $50 a
pair. Pickard said it gives the support
and traction needed but will give.
“It is expensive, but we feel that it
is safer for the athletes,” he said.
Pickard said he also prefers new
shoes because of an experiment he
tried in the spring last year. He gave
all the players older shoes to practice
on and got a surprising result. The
older shoes had a greater susceptibil
ity to great toe sprains. He said, like
turf, the more wear a product gets,
the more problems are associated
with it.
A report by the National Athletic
Injury Reporting Serivce (NAIRS)
came to a similar conclusion.
In the report to the U.S. Consum
er Safety Product Commission, it
showed a relation to the age of a sur
face and the amount of injuries on it.
There were increasing numbers of
injuries as the surface aged. This is
due to the fact that the wear on the
surface tends to break the padding
down and mat the fibers to the sur
face.
According to the report, in 1976,
there were 13 cases of significant
knee sprains on old Tartanturf to one
case on the new. A signficant injury
will keep the athlete out of competi
tion for up to seven days. There were
20 significant ankle sprains on old
Astroturf to 10 for new in 1977. And
again in 1976, there were 17 signifi
cant ankle sprains on old Tartanturf
to zero for the new.
This produced an injury rate on
old Tartanturf of 8.9 for 1,000
athlete-exposures in 1976. For ex
ample, of a 100-member football
team, approximately nine ankle
sprains could be expected in 10 prac
tices on the turf.
The data in the report come from
approximately 150 high schools and
colleges from around the nation. The
Artifical turf has not eliminated
injuries from sports, it has just
changed the type, said Billy
Pickard, Texas A&M University
head trainer. Pickard said the
only actual way to prevent in
juries in football would be to
stop playing.
injury, minor or major, in 1975, 93 in
1976 and 92 in 1977. These injuries
may or may not have been serious
but they required some type of treat
ment. A college team had an average
of two knee surgeries a season.
The report compared the two arti
ficial turfs to natural counting the
number of injuries on each. It broke
injuries into four categories; signifi
cant, moderate, major and severe.
After the seven days of a significant
injury, moderate injuries kept the
athlete out of competition for eight to
21 days. A major injury kept him out
for more than 21 days and a severe
injury permanently disabled the
athlete. The report did say, howev
er, that severe injuries were very
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report studied a three-year period
•(1075“i977), but thfe'“study Hs- con
tinuing. The study compared two
artifical surfaces (Astroturf and
Taranturf) to natural grass.
In the study years, 59 percent of
the games were played on natural
turf, 30 percent on Astroturf and 11
percent on Tartanturf. The injury
rates on the surfaces were very
similar.
The study determined that of 100
college athletes participating in foot
ball, 97 could expect some type of
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8th ANNUAL
FACULTY
STAFF &
ALUMNI
i. GOLF
TOURNAMENT
MAY 16 & 17, 1980
* Come ioin the fun with your Aggie
Buddies while you help support the TAMU
Golf Team
* Texas A&M Golf Course
* 5-Person Teams, Florida Scramble,
Teams determined by handicap f
* 36 Hole Tourney, 18 Holes Friday p.m. and 18 Holes
Saturday a.m.
* Rooms located at La Quinta Motor Inn. New hotel on Hwy.
6 directly across from campus.
* Friday Buffet and Saturday Bar-B-Que.
* Saturday Spouses.program
* Awards for first four teams
Make checks payable to: Association of Former Students
Phone: 713/845-7514
Mail entries to: Golf Tourney
Association of Former Students