How do artificial and natural turf fields differ in terms of multi-use maintenance?
AS: Artificial turf is almost maintenance free, but poses many other problems, injuries, excessive heat, drainage, etc. CW: Artificial turf does require some maintenance, but it does not require the extreme recovery time and maintenance of natural turf. Most youth leagues aren’t able to install artificial turf. What advice do you have for leagues caring for multi-use fields with natural turf? CW: Try to keep your field safe and level by filling divots and holes with sand or topsoil. Again, the importance of aerating and topdressing cannot be understated for good footing and a safe, level playing surface. Which is more important, proper preparation or recovery and why? AS: Proper preparation is always more important. Proper preparation will prevent many problems from appearing during a game. CW: Preparation! Proper preparation will hopefully help minimize damage and recovery time. When different sports use the same field, there is often very little time in between games and practices. H
