Letter: Grass on New Athletic Fields Is Too Long
Field hockey ball on Amherst's new athletic field. Photo: Marcus Smith
I want to begin by recognizing the work that has gone into bringing the track and field complex to this stage. A great deal of effort and investment has clearly gone into these facilities, and that is something the community can appreciate. But we are not finished yet. While things may look great, we need to make sure the athletic surfaces truly work for all users, not just for the track.
We now have a facility that should be a source of community pride, and it should be set up and maintained to support our athletes and their ambitions. Our school system prides itself on enabling student success, yet the current maintenance approach leaves the grass too long for effective play. Yes, students are out there practicing and competing, but we need to ask an important question: are they being given the conditions they need to reach their full potential?
Have you ever tried to hit a golf ball out of the rough? You are not going to get very far, very fast. In many ways, that is what it is like trying to play field hockey, and likely even soccer, on the school’s fields today. The grass may look green, healthy, and lush, but it is far too long for anything other than frustration for our student-athletes. NFHS field hockey rules call for a maximum grass height of 1.5 inches, yet our pitches are often lucky to be mowed to anything under 3 inches. When the ball itself is less than 3 inches tall, that makes skill development, ball movement, and success on the field unnecessarily difficult.
We can and should do better. A field that looks good is not necessarily a field that plays well. You may see students out there playing soccer and field hockey, but looks can be deceiving. A good lawn does not automatically make a good athletic field.
I hope you will join me in urging the school committee to match the promise of these new facilities with the level of maintenance they require. If we want our athletes to succeed, we need to give them facilities designed and maintained to support that success.
Marcus Smith
Marcus Smith is a resident of Amherst
My grandson plays soccer at Potwine. They don’t mow it either . The grass is more than a few inches over their ankles . Not good to play on .
The little I understand about grass is that 3 inches is the ideal length for healthy roots. Considering the roots in those fields may not be fully established, maybe a professional sports landscaper should be consulted to make sure the fields are properly maintained so that our athletes can benefit from them now and in the future.
Editor’s note: Specialized Turf Services (https://specializedturfservices.com/) are under contract to maintain the fields for at least their first year of use.