Fairfax County’s new turf diamonds say no to metal spikes

New turf diamonds have opened in recent months at JEB Stuart High School in Falls Church and South County Middle School in Lorton, and Waters Field in Vienna has reopened with a refurbished surface this spring.

The artificial playing surfaces have allowed high school teams to get in some additional games during the rainy weather, but a new policy barring the use of metal spikes has generated conversation from local coaches who are weighing the benefits of the shiny new, and expensive, artificial surface fields.

The policy has generated support on both sides of the issue. The mounds on the new fields are made of plastic and covered with turf rather than the traditional dirt-covered structures, which is what the previous mound at Waters Field consisted of and what other area turf fields such as Arlington’s Barcroft Park and the Washington Nationals Youth Academy's field in D.C. have. As a result, pitchers, who in particular need to have solid footing and to be comfortable during their delivery, have struggled to adjust while pitching in sneakers, turf shoes, or rubber cleats.

Especially in wet conditions, which was the case when Yorktown and Hayfield played at the South County field on Wednesday.

“It was a bit of a show,” Hayfield coach Mike Shore said. “Guys were slipping all over the place and to be honest, we can't play there without cleats again. The field itself is awesome, but it was raining lightly almost the entire game. My starting pitcher slipped on a pitch at least four times. I'm surprised no one got hurt.”

Signs have been placed at the fields by the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) activities office and the Fairfax County Park Authority asking teams to refrain from wearing the metal spikes, citing player safety and field preservation and the ability to maintain the warranties from the manufacturers as the major reasons for the policy. They are also asking players and coaches to refrain from using sunflower seeds in attempt to keep the fields from being covered in shells.

For Madison coach Mark ‘Pudge’ Gjormand, the no-spikes policy has its benefits. His team has practiced and on occasion played games at Waters over the past several years, and one of his players - senior Jimmy Goldsmith - suffered a knee injury two years ago when his metal spikes got stuck in the turf.

“It’s a safety issue,” Gjormand said. “The spikes get caught in the turf pretty easy and there have been a number of knee injuries. My guys prefer wearing their [turf shoes]. They tell me it really doesn’t make a difference. However, if it’s wet from all the rain, it will be slick.”

Slick field conditions played a factor in Wednesday's contest, a close, 5-4 win by Hayfield that was affected on a handful of plays when players slipped on the wet surface.

​​“I would play there again, just not in the rain,” Yorktown coach John Skaggs said. “Our guys were slipping and threw a couple balls away on bunts when they lost their footing. It definitely got a little dangerous out there, especially as the game went on.”

Added Shore: “I must have gotten at least five emails from my DSA and assistant DSA [on Wednesday] about no cleats and no seeds. It was our first time there and I see my DSAs point in that he wanted to follow the rules precisely so that we can continue to use the field again. “But I refuse to put my guys out there in that situation again, because someone will get hurt.”

Regardless, the policies are in place with good intentions, and not likely to change. Avoiding the use of metal spikes also preserves the fields, which come with warranties from their manufacturers. That was the major consideration as the school system, county, boosters clubs and youth groups got together to pony up upwards of $750,000 to cover the price tag on each of the new diamonds, and tens of thousands to refurbish the surface at Waters.

“Metal spikes can cause damage to turf fields,” Bill Curran, the FCPS director of student activities, said when reached by email. “That is the primary reason they are not permitted on synthetic surfaces. Safety is also a factor.”

It is assumed that the policy will remain as the future fields are built, and coaches will simply have to adjust accordingly, ensuring their players - in particular their pitchers - bring approved footwear that will allow them to gain the proper traction on the surface.

Curran added that there are no immediate plans for further development of turf diamonds, though there are several movements within the local baseball community to pursue future turf diamonds. Two separate groups, one in Fairfax and one in Loudoun County, have entered the early stages towards raising funds and finding available land for development.

“It is ultimately a very good thing for the schools and the community," said Mark Martino, a long-time coach and athletics administrator with FCPS who now works as the operations manager in Athletics Services for the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, which plays a role in the development of turf fields and schedules all community use on county fields and in gymnasiums.

No. 7 Lake Braddock is scheduled to play South County at the South County Middle School location tomorrow, and JEB Stuart defeated Falls Church in its final scheduled regular season game on their field on Tuesday. Local Babe Ruth league teams and travel teams have also had access to the fields for games, and will continue to through the summer and fall months.

Photos of Waters Field and South County Middle School's field courtesy of Vienna Babe Ruth and Dave Facinoli, respectively.