(editor’s note: this article was written independent of the Journalism class. Any personal opinions expressed in the article or further research are that of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Current or its staff.)
By Sarmad Alamgir, Independent Contributor
With so many teenagers playing high school sports, like football and soccer, who wouldn’t want safety to be a top priority? Every athlete wants to be successful, the best on the field. What determines their success can be found by simply looking down: the type of cleats that they wear, and the surface that they are playing on.
Many athletes today likely realize that their selection of cleats can directly influence their success on the playing field, but don’t realize that there are many factors that should go into the process of selection. In a study titled “A Field Study of Low-Top vs. Mid-Top vs. High-Top American Football Cleats” by Calvin Daack and David Senchina, it was found that the range of motion of the ankle when wearing high top cleats was reduced, thus decreasing the chance of ankle injuries. However, many athletes do not favor the high top cleat, due to a comfortability perspective.
In a survey of 29 people that I developed, it was found that only about 21% of respondents preferred high-top cleats, whereas about 72% of respondents preferred either low-top or mid-top cleats. This raises the question: should comfort be valued more than a lower risk of ankle injury?
In addition, when questioned about their preferences regarding surface type, about 70% of respondents preferred artificial turf to natural grass. When asked to clarify their answer, there was a general theme of discontent, in reference to the maintenance of natural grass. One student stated that “grass has a lot of bumps that put me at higher risk”; another claimed “most grass is not taken care of very well, but grass, preferably Bermuda grass, that is taken care of nicely is the best to play on”. One stated that “when natural grass is bumpy, it is uncomfortable to run on”, and another even said that there are “no shortcomings if the natural grass surface is flat and short”.
These results should be concerning. Natural grass has been found to be the superior surface, when compared to artificial turf. It has been shown to have less rotational traction, and a much lower likelihood of injury. These parameters, however, can only be met when the surface quality is adequate. Perhaps better maintenance of the grass surfaces in Howard County would protect athletes more, while providing them a chance to play at their full potential. Natural grass that is not taken care of causes detrimental effects to the athletes’ psychological perception of natural grass surfaces, and negatively impacts their performance.
Overall, it is important for athletes to understand the factors that influence their success.