One of the biggest competitions on high school football fields in Michigan these days isn’t between teams — it’s grass vs. artificial turf.
Artificial turf fields are growing around the state, so to speak, with about 100 schools now playing on them. Capital News Service reports that 14 of the 16 sites for high school football playoff games happened on AstroTurf. That company says their product is designed to be durable, provide greater traction and shock absorption, and reduce the risk of injury.
But a study by the University Hospitals Sports Medicine Institute and Case Western Reserve University says athletes are 58% more likely to sustain an injury on artificial turf compared to a natural surface.
\