A Student's Perspective on Turf Field
CVU athlete points to the problem – fields at the school are often too soggy and muddy to practice or play a game and says artificial turf is a solution.
By Willcox Elliott
CVU Junior
I play volleyball and lacrosse at Champlain Valley Union High School, and I am a member of Student Council. My older siblings played sports at CVU, and my mom coaches a spring and fall sport, both of which practice and play on the CVU fields.
For years, I’ve heard my mom comment about numerous cancelled games; practices in the CVU gym (where it’s hard to see the yellow ball with lighting); and early morning practices at the (turf) field house on a field half the size of a standard one (with lines that don’t match our regular field). Once I got to high school, I experienced all these issues myself.
Last week, we practiced in the gym, at the Shelburne Field House (SFH), and in the parking lot. And we’re lucky. The JV team likely won’t set foot on a field until their first game because there aren’t enough time slots at the SFH, and the fields at CVU aren’t playable for weeks. Having a turf field would allow not just my team, but all the other sports teams at CVU to practice and compete.
Without turf, we face dozens of cancelled games school-wide, ineffective practices and a logistical nightmare for coaches and staff.
Especially in spring, we can’t use grass fields for weeks, and our first few games are often cancelled unless we play at South Burlington, Burlington, St. Johnsbury, Rice, or Burr and Burton. Here are some issues we face as players right now:
Running on three different surfaces within a week isn’t healthy for our bones, muscles, or tendons and can lead to shin splints or stress fractures.
Waking up at 4:45 a.m. three times a week because that’s the only time we can practice is tough in several ways. It messes with our sleep schedule. Not everyone can go to bed early, because we have hours of homework, other extracurriculars, or responsibilities. We lose two to three hours of sleep since we don’t have turf. Adults talk about how important sleep is when you’re young, but right now, we can’t get enough.
When we don’t get enough sleep, it’s harder to focus in class. Just last week, I almost fell asleep in several lessons, which rarely happens when I’ve had enough sleep.
All these factors harm our mental health.
Having a consistent surface, like turf, is more predictable for us when we’re running. We won’t need to worry about avoiding divots or lumps; instead, we can focus on playing with speed, poise, and skill.
I understand that many are worried about the environmental impact of artificial turf; I don’t have all the facts, so I won’t defend everything right now. Eli Lesser-Goldsmith (who’s helping lead this project) has said many times that the field will follow state regulations, and I believe they will manage it properly. It’s worth noting that Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester installed a second turf field last summer, which shows it’s possible to set up a turf field while following Vermont’s rules.
(Editor’s note: Last fall, Willcox Elliott and two classmates started a CVU chapter of Students Demand Action, an organization aimed at curbing gun violence. This letter initially appeared in Front Porch Forum.)