Charlotte Spruck, Sports Editor
@cspruckcourant
The new turf that was added to Dunning has been a huge conversation starter since the beginning of this year. The fall sports teams have been vocal about their opinions and how the new turf impacts their playing.
Girls’ field hockey captain Camaren Dayton immediately noticed a difference in how the new turf feels, “The grass is a lot longer and there are a lot of black pellets. The surface is a lot squishier than we are used to, and we all definitely noticed the first time we went to practice on it,” she said.
Junior soccer player Julia Ozimek said that for her as a multi-sport athlete, she saw both pros and cons to the new turf. “In soccer season, I prefer playing on a shorter turf so that the ball moves faster and the game of play is quicker. Sometimes new turf can slow down the game because the players are not used to playing on such plush ground,” she said but,“In the spring, I play lacrosse, so the length of the turf is less important. In both seasons, I love soft turf because it hurts less when you fall down on it.”
Camaren thinks that the longer turf was initially hard for the field hockey team to adjust to. “We would have loved to have turf more similar to the old one or Water Tower. The ball moves quicker and we can get off better passes when the field is more flat and firm. However, the turf at Dunning has started to pack down more so it is becoming progressively easier to play on.”
Both Julia and Camaren have had some experience playing on the turf and had considered it an overall positive experience, despite the small adjustment period. “This year, I have only played on the new turf twice. Both times I have loved it! I have found it super helpful as an athlete and I am so happy the NCHS decided to put in a new turf,” said Julia.
Camaren also sees the new turf as an advantage, “ It took a few games and practices to adjust, because it used to slow the ball down when we were carrying it or passing,” she said. “It is still a little bit harder to get off a really fast, clean insert when we have corners too. However, we realized that the teams coming to play us would have even less time to warm up to it, so it ended up as an advantage in a way.”
Overall, the turf has become an excellent addition to NCHS, and the athletes are very appreciative of it.
