Royals update

   

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boys will be trekking up to Prince George
for a 2 p.m. Sunday match against the
UNBC Timberwolves who are in second
place in Group A, behind the Royals, with
14 points.

On the other hand, the Royals”
women’s soccer team played the Kwantlen
Eagles in back-to-back games as well this
past weekend, resulting in a 6-0 loss in
Saturday’s match and a prevailing 2-1 win
in the Sunday match. They are presently
in fourth place in the standings in Group
A with a 2-1-6 record and seven points.
They will also be making the trek up to
the north with a 12 p.m. match against the
Timberwolves. -

That's the weekly report; stay tuned for
next week’s Royals Update! Have a good one! _

 

 

 

Turf wars: Battle of the blades

By Eric Wilkins, Staff Writer

dominated by the mantra, “organic is

good” so many people not only play
on artificial turf, but seem to prefer it.
I, however, hate artificial turf. I am not
going to litter subtle shots throughout
this article, and lead you, the reader, to
merely assume I am against it; I have
stated it clearly to prevent any possible
misunderstanding.

[«= it amusing that in a world

Natural grass is, first and foremost...

natural. Grass is affected by the rain.
When it rains, grass fields can deteriorate
and become muddy. When the cold
sets in the field hardens. In the summer
heat (depending on the quality of the
field), the grass can become rough and
sandy. One can look at these changes in
field condition as major strikes against
grass fields, but I prefer to see them as
positives. Sport is about unpredictability.
Adjustments are a part of the game.
They make it interesting. What kid
hasn’t played a game of soccer and come
home completely caked in mud? Just try
and tell me that this isn’t an experience
everyone should have.

In order to keep up the pretence

of my complete un-biasedness, I shall
mention the benefits of artificial turf

first before proceeding to slag it. It is
long-lasting and requires almost no
maintenance (sort of like a concrete
sidewalk). On the negative side, however,
everything about it is fake. Grass is
purported to have “blades” but these are
nothing compared to the plastic swords
found on turf fields. To anyone who has

 

 

hitch rides home with the players and
hang out in large masses in the washing
machine. They also have a seemingly
magnetic attraction to the eye—a most
uncomfortable experience indeed. It must
be mentioned that turf also tends not to
have as much give in it. Due to this there
is a much higher incidence of injury
(specifically to the knee) on artificial turf
than there is on natural grass.

“When the cold sets in the field hardens. In the summer heat (depending
on the quality of the field), the grass can become rough and sandy. One
can look at these changes in field condition as major strikes against
grass fields, but | prefer to see them as positives.”

ever had the unfortunate happenstance
of attempting to slide on a turf field, it

is common knowledge that these blades
are the culprits behind the notorious “turf
burn.” Grass doesn’t do this. Scattered
amongst these green devils are the turf
equivalent of dirt: small, black, rubber
pellets. The main reason for these bits’
presence is to create a softer, more
“grass-like” surface —but I’d like to
point out the secondary purpose of them:
a horrible nuisance. These little things
get everywhere and have a tendency to

And if my own humble opinion is
not enough to sway you, it should be
noted that while many football teams
make use of turf fields, there is no top
soccer club in the world that plays
games on artificial turf (MLS is not a top
league...). These clubs are in the business
of making money too; when they decide
to throw untold sums of money into
maintaining grass pitches instead of
making the easy investment of a turf
field, it should send a strong message as
to what their opinion of artificial turf is.

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