If you're asking if you need artificial turf, the easy answer is yes. However, the question you should be asking is what type of artificial turf do you need?
That depends on who's going to be playing on it, and what sport they're going to be playing. Oh, and one more thing - if you're thinking of Astroturf of the 70s and 80s banish the thought.
Originally designed in the 1960s to replace the concrete pavers and bricks prevalent in city parks and schoolyards, artificial turf was adopted by Houston's baseball team, the Astros who saw it as a cost-effective replacement for expensive high-maintenance grass. The upside, in addition to the reduction in water usage and constant groundskeeping, was that it made the game more exciting for spectators since its hard and springy surface enabled players to run faster.
Unfortunately, it proved costly to these well-conditioned athletes in that its hard surface resulted in knee injuries, some so devastating that the player's professional life came to a screeching halt. Eventually, a softer and safer type of artificial turf was developed and Astroturf became a part of baseball history.
However, the story doesn't end there. On the contrary new types of artificial turf continued to be developed meaning that athletes of all levels no longer need to train and compete on surfaces that pose the danger of sidelining them should they fall.
In fact, they've become so specifically designed that it's quite possible that individuals who engage in more than one sport a day, as many student-athletes do, may find themselves playing on different types of artificial turf, each designed to minimize injury while maximizing performance.
Such improvements can include padding that minimizes joint damage and materials that afford a better foot grip to reduce the danger of to slipping and falling.
But these innovative artificial turf improvements go much further, they enable school administrators, municipal parks officials, gym owners, and country club grounds committees to furnish their various types of fields and courts with artificial turf tailored to the particular sports to be played there.
Gym owners can choose non-abrasive low friction strength and agility turf designed for areas dedicated to strength-intensive sports like weightlifting, indoor hammer throwing, and shot-put training.
Strength and agility artificial turf can also be used on indoor and outdoor tennis courts and batting cages as well as on outdoor soccer fields and areas where aerobics and yoga classes are held.
Where sprinters and relay runners run splits while other athletes cross-train or run agility obstacles there is low-resistance impact-absorbing track turf. Track Turf is designed with materials and rubber padding that go a long way in reducing the constant pounding and stress on joints that can result in athletic injuries. These injuries can range from hairline stress fractures, shin splints, and plantar fasciitis to pulled muscles and sprained ankles.
What both of these artificial turfs have in common is that they're easy to clean, durable, and padded with 5 mm of impact-absorbing rubber
Playgrounds have come a long way too since the days when skinned knees and broken bones were part of days spent playing on unforgiving concrete or macadam surfaces. Today anyone charged with designing or revamping school or parks department playgrounds can choose complete playground systems that feature all-weather impact-resistant artificial turf for highly trafficked areas and those where children can fall from swings, climbing structures, or slides.
In short whether one is a casual athlete or trains daily with competition in mind, there's an artificial turf suited to optimize their performance and maximize their safety.