Boys Lacrosse Coach Perspective

Having come from a lacrosse background as both a player and coach, I fully understand the importance of practicing and playing games on field turf as opposed to grass. It allows the student athlete a better playing surface in order to compete.
Due to the unpredictability of weather during the spring season in this area, Boys’ Lacrosse had multiple contests postponed or cancelled last season. This left Boys’ Lacrosse below the minimum threshold of eleven regular season games in order to fill our schedule. Continuously checking the weather days before a scheduled contest hoping to play proved tedious and an embarrassment, one to which I am prepared not to duplicate again. Therefore when constructing our season schedule this season, in order to avoid the same pitfalls we ran into the previous year, we have consciously scheduled 12 of our 16 contests for the spring 2014 season on the road.
The safety of the student athletes has been called into question playing on our current grass field. Studies have shown that playing on field turf has proven to be safer than grass, and reduces the risk of injury. Our current stadium grass is patchy, uneven, crowned and does not drain well, leaving areas of oversaturation that can increase opportunities for injuries to occur.
I ask that everyone please review the details of this initiative. West Potomac is truly a great high school, with a student body, faculty and staff that deserve turf on its campus.
Geoff Hill
Boys Varsity Head Coach
West Potomac High School
Due to the unpredictability of weather during the spring season in this area, Boys’ Lacrosse had multiple contests postponed or cancelled last season. This left Boys’ Lacrosse below the minimum threshold of eleven regular season games in order to fill our schedule. Continuously checking the weather days before a scheduled contest hoping to play proved tedious and an embarrassment, one to which I am prepared not to duplicate again. Therefore when constructing our season schedule this season, in order to avoid the same pitfalls we ran into the previous year, we have consciously scheduled 12 of our 16 contests for the spring 2014 season on the road.
The safety of the student athletes has been called into question playing on our current grass field. Studies have shown that playing on field turf has proven to be safer than grass, and reduces the risk of injury. Our current stadium grass is patchy, uneven, crowned and does not drain well, leaving areas of oversaturation that can increase opportunities for injuries to occur.
I ask that everyone please review the details of this initiative. West Potomac is truly a great high school, with a student body, faculty and staff that deserve turf on its campus.
Geoff Hill
Boys Varsity Head Coach
West Potomac High School