New Turf Installed on MBHS Football Field

Since winter break, the football field at Morro Bay High School has been under construction, awaiting the installation of turf to replace the grass that was once there. After a long-awaited three months, the turf was finally installed on April 10. With the lights being installed, the turf set and ready, and the bleachers arriving in about a month, the football field is looking new & improved. 

As for Soccer and Football players, the new turf is an immense change in environment for them, as the grass the field once had was more susceptible to getting muddy super easily, and was not maintained properly. The consistency of the turf will offer a nuanced perspective for athletes, altering how they play their sport. “The turf is always the same; it doesn’t matter as much if it rains or not,” said junior and boys soccer varsity player, Cole Frere. 

Junior and varsity soccer player, Coco Fortini, attested to this idea, “Being able to have both playing on turf and practicing on it will be a huge thing for consistency, and it feels more professional, and you can get more technical,” said Fortini. 

A major factor in the introduction of turf to MBHS is the possibility of injuries, as turf is much firmer than grass, and athletes can be more prone to calf strains, shin splints, turf toe, etc. “It’s a little bit harder on your joints and stuff than grass,” said Frere. Athletes at MBHS will also have to get used to turf burns; the impact of falling at high speed on the turf tends to damage easily.

Although there’s a possibility for more injuries, in sports, unfortunately, that is always a potential factor. 

“I think it’ll bring our team more together, [the turf], by being able to practice, but also play, because we were still able to play on a lot of turf this past season,” said Fortini. This year, MBHS’s soccer teams’ games were relocated during the construction to California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo — a field that also has turf on it, making the players more accustomed to the shift. 

“It [Cal Poly SLO’s field] was cleaner, and it made you have more precision,” said Fortini, adding to the overall difference from turf to grass. As Morro Bay is an incredibly foggy place, being located next to the beach, the grass was constantly dewy; now, the introduction of turf will offer nuance in steady availability for playing on the field. 

The new turf will offer a more upgraded and modern look to MBHS, bringing a whirlwind of benefits, leaving an overall more dependable environment for sports.