On Sunday, The Daily Progress reported that Monticello High School began renovating its football field last week, removing sod to begin installation of an artifical turf. According to the Progress, turf installation is on track to be completed for the start of football practices on August 14.
"It’s a flat surface that your cleats stick into. There’s no slipping. There’s no sliding … It’s basically like running on a grass track," Monticello fullback and middle linebacker Aaron DiGregorio told the Progress. "We’ll just be able to elevate our game to that next level."
While turf is more durable and easier to maintain than grass, questions remain about its safety. In a January C-VILLE cover story, County School Board supervisor David Slutzky said, "I am not convinced that [artifical turfs] are dangerous, but I am certainly not convinced that they are safe." Slutzky voted against installing turf in 2007 after being assigned to investigate its potential health risks.
The anonymous donor who gave a total of $1.3 million to local public schools for converting grass to turf also offered $325,000 to Charlottesville High School for the same purposes, but the Charlottesville School Board hasn’t decided yet whether to approve its installation. "It’s not a dead issue," Board member Juandiego Wade told the Progress, adding that the health risks had to be evaluated before proceeding. If the board approves the field, Wade said, all of the money would come from private donations.
To get up close and personal with the new artificial turf, click on the above image.