To the editor:

I have been reading the recent articles in the Barrington Times on plans to install artificial turf on fields in town, and I would like to offer a high school athlete’s — specifically a soccer player’s — perspective on its advantages.

This season especially, I felt like our team was disadvantaged by not having a turf field. I remember our first varsity game this fall. It was an Injury Fund match at Cranston Stadium — a beautiful turf field. I remember warming up on the sidelines, buzzing with excitement and eager to play. However, our gameplay didn’t quite live up to our expectations. Until this game, we had been practicing only on the BHS varsity and library fields (all grass). At this first game, I could tell from the very first pass that we were not accustomed to the ball moving so fast. Passes splitting the defense that would have stayed within bounds on grass rolled straight off the goal line or right to the goalkeeper. Balls in the air were much harder to control. The faster speed of the ball made the pace of the game in general very fast, as well, and we had trouble defending as a result. 

I could not help but think, if we had had more practice playing beforehand on a turf surface, we would have been much better prepared for this game — in short, we were at a competitive disadvantage. I could feel the effects of the lack of turf field later in the season, as well. La Salle Academy, one of Barrington’s main rivals — their field is turf, along with North Kingstown and Cumberland, other rivals from this season. Cranston Stadium hosted the state final this year and in 2019, and last year, the final took place at Johnston High School, yet another turf field. Wouldn’t it make sense to have a surface where we could train for these important games and get accustomed to the turf? 

In addition to these advantages in games, turf provides a consistent surface for practice, as well. I don’t know how many times my teammates and I have kicked balls in a straight line during a passing drill only to see them bounce and roll all over the place because of holes, bare patches, and lumps in the grass. It’s extremely frustrating. It’s hard to be a possession-oriented team (a team that aims to connect passes around our opponents and control the flow of the game), like we aim to be, and to practice accurate passing when, in fact, the trajectory of each pass will be decided by the arbitrary topography of grass fields. Of course, one could argue that this handicap forces us to make more precise touches and control the ball with more accuracy. I would argue the opposite — grass has the effect of cushioning the ball so we don’t have to try nearly as hard to bring the ball down. This gives us the illusion that we’re better than we actually are: an illusion that is crushed the second we step on to turf, which is not nearly as forgiving. 

Grass fields encourage the type of low-quality soccer that Coach Pickford affectionately calls “kick and run all-star,” where the ball is simply booted down the field and forwards try to outrun the defense, because long passes are so easy to control and are likely to stay in bounds. 

I am aware that there is debate on where the turf should be installed. Personally — and I’m sure many soccer players would agree with me — I would love to see it on Victory Field. I’m not sure how well this is known but Victory is notorious for sloping upwards towards the track, leading to balls that look like they’re going out of bounds rolling back in and corner kicks being extremely hard to take. Artificial turf would definitely resolve both these issues. 

The reality of the situation is, unless the grass is extremely high quality, turf results in faster, cleaner, all-around-better soccer. Turf improves the speed of play and forces us to make better touches and exercise more control over the ball. 

I’m glad that this long-standing problem is finally getting attention, and I ask that the residents of Barrington consider investing in something that will benefit the community for years to come. 

Sincerely,

Marie Choi-Schattle (frustrated soccer player who wishes this had been done years ago)

Barrington