Natural grass has always been the gold standard for athlete performance and safety, but even the best-maintained fields are only playable for 160 to 200 hours a year. For years, sports organizations have turned to synthetic turf to handle high-volume demands; however, standard infill-based turf systems introduce serious risks of their own, subjecting athletes to severe torque and high recoil energy that dramatically increase lower-leg trauma and fatigue.
In this episode, recorded live from the 2026 NATA convention, Charles Dawson of TenCate joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to explain how decades of research into athlete biomechanics and playing surfaces have shaped a new generation of synthetic turf designed to address many of those shortcomings. He breaks down how reducing surface recoil and rotational torque may improve athlete availability, why consistency matters just as much as cushioning, and how advances in turf engineering are changing the conversation around injury prevention.
Dawson also discusses the environmental benefits of modern turf systems, their growing adoption across professional and collegiate sports, and why he believes the future of athletic fields should be measured by one outcome above all else: keeping athletes healthy, performing at their best, and on the field.
MEET THE GUEST
Charles Dawson
- CEO - Sports Division, TenCate Grass
TOPICS DISCUSSED
- Why modern turf design is moving beyond infill
- Reducing lower extremity injuries through surface engineering
- The relationship between torque, recoil, and athlete injury
- Why consistent playing surfaces improve athletic performance
- The economics and lifespan of modern synthetic turf installations
HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 – Introduction
01:05 – Why Artificial Turf Exists
01:53 – How Turf Has Evolved over Time
02:49 – Sponsor: Beck Bode
03:15 – How New Turf Systems Are Developed
04:04 – What Makes TenCate Different from Other Turf
05:55 – Designing Turf Around Athlete Safety
07:10 – Lower Extremity Injuries and Surface Torque
09:00 – The Role of Footwear
09:30 – Exploring the Turf-Concussion Connection
10:47 – Ball Performance and Other Ball Sports
12:16 – Pro Teams, Colleges, and High Schools Adopting Gen 4 Turf
13:36 – Turf Lifespan, Sustainability & Environmental Benefits
16:07 – Cost Breakdown & Maintenance Comparison
18:34 – Lightning Round: Innovation, Myths & Player Availability
QUOTES:
01:14 - “I tell people all the time, if you've got a budget and you've got good weather and you've got limited use, natural grass is perfect. Even the best natural grass fields in the world are good for 160 to 200 hours a year in total use. Turf gives you unlimited ability to play 24/7.”
07:33 - “Natural grass is considered a low torque field. And the pivot turf mimics the torque level of natural grass. So those would be the same. What the NFL said is in 1000 foot impacts on a low torque field, there's 4.2 chances of lower leg trauma every. If you go to high rubber, it goes up almost 500% to over 19.”
LINKS
Charles Dawson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-dawson-63114590/
TenCate - https://www.tencategrass.com/
NATA Convention - https://convention.nata.org/
SPONSORS
Beck Bode is a fee-only fiduciary firm that builds personalized roadmaps to keep your money aligned with your life goals. See what real planning looks like at https://beckbode.com
DISCLAIMER
The opinions presented on Behind the Sports Medicine are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any affiliated institutions or partners. The content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a licensed medical professional before making any health or treatment decisions. Behind the Sports Medicine and its affiliates assume no liability for the accuracy or application of the information discussed.
#SyntheticTurf #TurfVsGrass #NATA2026 #PlayerAvailability #SportsPerformance
