If you are reading thing relatively soon after it was posted, you probably have the air conditioner on. While summer is great for so many reasons, there are times when it can get quite hot. This is certainly evident for athletes who must perform on artificial turf.
Although the air temperature may be 85 degrees let's say, it could be quite hotter on the field. This is because many turf fields use rubber crumbs for turf infill. As you can probably guess, rubber absorbs this heat and traps it, making the ground much hotter than the air temperature might say.
That same field on an 85 degree day could be well over 100 degrees. This not only could cause burn injuries, but if could also cause athletes to become dehydrated - especially since they are running around so much. As many kids perform on artificial turf fields during the summer, it's imperative that organizers and parents recognize these dangers and do something to ensure injuries don't happen because of a specific infill.
There are a number of advantages of having artificial turf, so you don't necessarily need to change your fields over to grass. This could be quite costly anyway and upkeep costs may end up being high. Instead you should consider the type of turf infill you use and determine if you can install one that maintains optimal temperatures even when the air temperature goes up.
The truth is that there are other infill options other than rubber-based ones. For example, a coconut-based turf infill can keep turf temperatures within twenty degrees of natural grass. This is in addition to other benefits like sustainability, improved foot stability, and ideal GMAX ratings. With player safety always an issue, turf infill is one thing that should be on the top of your mind if you have a turf field.