Student trainers mend injured athletes
By Tracy Hamilton

Staff Writer

When originally applied in 1988, the turf in Hughes Stadium was never expected to last this long.

Next season, the stadium will either have new turf or the Lions  football team will not play there. College President Julio Le n said this is the last season for the team to play on the turf, and next year the team will play on a high school football field if the surface is not replaced.

 Whether we will have a new turf next year is questionable; it s as simple as that,  Le n said.  What might actually happen is that the College, for the next year or two or three, will find itself playing on football fields at high schools. 

He said Joplin High School has expressed an interest in Southern playing at Junge Stadium.

The College has asked for contributions from some of its football alumni.

 The one thing people need to realize is that Missouri Southern s turf problem is not their problem,  said Bill Cooke, head football coach.  Just because we need new turf why should it become James Thrash or Rod Smith s problem? Just like my daughter, her battery was dead yesterday, is that my problem or her problem? It s her problem. 

After contacting Smith, who just signed an $11.2 million professional football contract, Cooke said Smith was not able to contribute to the cause at this time. Thrash, who was also contacted, has not yet responded to Southern s inquiries. Cooke said Smith and Thrash may contribute later, but can t right now.

 Everybody has other obligations,  Cooke said.

Le n said the new turf will not come out of the College s budget, but the College will be asking  friends and alumni of the College.  He said the College may contact companies in the area like Leggett & Platt. Sally Beard, athletic director, said the contacts for area companies  are in the works now. 

One of the concerns with the existing turf is player safety. Cooke said the sand from the field  wears the hide right off of their skin,  leaving them permanently scarred.

Beard said some teams who said they have safety concerns, never wanted to play here.

 Our opponents really don t have a choice,  Cooke said.

The existing turf is not in production anymore and is not able to be updated. One thing the College does is blow the sand off the field once a week. The turf is Omni by Balsam. One brand of turf Southern is looking at is made by Mondo. This is the same type of turf, but instead of sand, it contains machine-ground rubber.

 It s much softer; it feels and acts like regular grass,  Cooke said.  There are several companies on the market right now that can provide this. 

He said playing on the present turf is like  playing on ice.  The field has passed testing to certify it as a safe playing environment. Beard said tests have not been completed, and that David Couey, who travels across the country testing turfs, will return a second time and run more tests. If the field does not pass the second set of tests, Southern will stop using the facilities that day and have to find an alternative field.

Andy Tevis/The Chart

The turf at Hughes Stadium was applied in 1988. Since then sand from the turf has worked its way to the surface.