If you have been to any football or soccer games at Mansfield you might have noticed the bright new turf. Installation of the new playing surface started after the 2023 track season was over and continued for 11 weeks until it was finally finished. The new artificial turf was installed to replace the previous grass playing surface. Artificial turf has two advantages over the previous grass field. The turf is much easier to ho maintain because unlike grass, it does not need to be cut and the lines don’t have to be redone. The second advantage is that athletes can practice and play in almost any conditions and weather without having to worry about ruining the surface.

One of the unique features of the new turf is that the infill or filling material is different from traditional turf. Called Brockfill, the infill is a bunch of small bits of wood which is renewable and cheaper than the traditional rubber bits. The trait that makes Brockfill special compared to typical turf is that it is good at absorbing water which in turn makes the surface cooler than a typical turf would be, which is especially noticeable when it is hot outside. In those hot temperatures the turf can be up to 33 degrees cooler than typical turf. The Brockfill turf is also known to help decrease the amount of impact and helps to reduce injuries because of “brock shock pads” which lessen impact using shock absorbing pads underneath the turf.

Memorial and West boys football and soccer have been using the turf this fall and the girls soccer teams will continue to use it in the spring. The turf is said to last about 8-10 years with little maintenance but if it is maintained well it could last up to 20 years.