Physical Health in Drum Corps and Synthetic Marching Fields...

[xandandl]

Maybe we could take the thread back to topic and leave the footballs stuff and sports bragging to the ESPN site and Bradygate.

Signed,

OP

Edited November 10, 2015 by xandandl

[BRASSO]

Ok, so I'm out board now to be watchful that synthetic things produced in football fields can make me ill.

But just so you know, I still like the smell in the early season of the Drum Corps bus fumes. I can't get enough of that inhalation. I find it both intoxicating and exhilerating.

And in 50 years of the smell of the Drum Corps bus fumes, Its hasn't killed me yet.

Edited November 10, 2015 by BRASSO

[xandandl]

Ok, so I'm out board now to be watchful that synthetic things produced in football fields can make me ill.

But just so you know, I still like the smell in the early season of the Drum Corps bus fumes. I can't get enough of that inhalation. I find it both intoxicating and exhilerating.

And in 50 years of the smell of the Drum Corps bus fumes, Its hasn't killed me yet.

But how has it affected the brain?

You know those "back of the bus" folks in drum corps, the ones the directors' are always a bit wary of.....

[BRASSO]

But how has it affected the brain?

You know those "back of the bus" folks in drum corps, the ones the directors' are always a bit wary of.....

Oh my brain seems to still be in great working order. Its everything below the chin line that seems to have its on and off days these days now.

[Jeff Ream]

How much carcinogens has to be ingested into the system by contact, etc. probably would have to be an amazingly high number for the cancer to ultimate manifest/blossom as a problem.

However, it is the distinction of skin-irritants which caught my eye (no pun intended,) particularly with the example used by Garfield and the programs of certain corps who seem to spend as much time on the ground as on their feet.

I do know that guard weapon lines tend to use gloves, brass lines as well; flag lines and percussionists do not. Are they at risk?

I have watched the MMs at breaks empty their practice Dinkles/Vipers of those granular pellets which form some of the practice turf. What risk to the feet for MMs?

While I agree with Mingus that the TV report is not as scientifically presented as the link at the end of the article, (thanks for adding that) there is a larger context and conversation in the CT area with which TV viewers there would be familiar, situations (Cheshire, Westport, Trumbull etc.) similar to what Garfield found in his school district. Interestingly, the CT districts concerned are also ones with highly competititve marching bands, one whose drill is written by Leon May of Crown fame.

DCI has a medical committee and I posit that the committee should continue a dialogue with Yale, other scientists and researchers, our drill community, and all our corps to continue advocating for the best health of our MMs especially when legitimate concerns are raised about possible contributors like these. If corps make rules and policies about diets, smoking, proper practice attire, sunscreen, water jugs, etc., gloves in such field conditions may not be unwarranted. I know the libertarians and anti-authoritarians will raise the usual chorus about "no more rules;" the quest for the fast buck and a balanced bottom line may eventually rise to bite the corps from behind if medical costs and other liabilities eventually challenge. Besides drum corps has usually been about "doing the right thing because it is right" even with sacrifice. Forewarned is fore-armed.

ok so let me ask this:

for decades, drum corps has practiced on real grass. sometimes mowed, not mowed, hidden holes, bugs, anthills, poisons, you name it.

why is there no fear over this?

[Ghost]

Excrement.

Edited November 12, 2015 by Ghost

[rpbobcat]

Just want to add my $0.02 on this topic.

I've designed a number of synthetic turf fields.

A few years ago everyone was in a panic over lead in the turf.

Early versions of synthetic turf used lead in the green turf,to reduce fading.

But it was "encapsulated", meaning that the only way it could be an issue was if someone ate the turf.

It also turned out you needed to eat something like 150 lbs. of the stuff for it to be a concern.

The CDC came out with a report saying this,but people still paniced.

The current worry is "crumb" rubber.

I can't find any objective study that shows any corelation between "crumb" rubber "infill" and players developing health problems.

Given the number of fields that use this "infill", if it was as "dangerous" as some people say,there should be numerous,not isolated cases of cancer.

Everybody is concerned about "crumb" rubber for athletic fields,but they have been using pretty much the same stuff (rubber muclh) on playgrounds for years.

Kids roll around in that stuff and I've never read of any problems.

The biggest problem I know about for "crumb" rubber is that it will get uniforms dirty.

[Ghost]

The biggest problem I know about for "crumb" rubber is that it will get uniforms dirty.

And it's a pain in the butt to run with it in your sports shoes/cleats, as well as cleaning out your footwear.

[xandandl]

Just want to add my $0.02 on this topic.

I've designed a number of synthetic turf fields.

A few years ago everyone was in a panic over lead in the turf.

Early versions of synthetic turf used lead in the green turf,to reduce fading.

But it was "encapsulated", meaning that the only way it could be an issue was if someone ate the turf.

It also turned out you needed to eat something like 150 lbs. of the stuff for it to be a concern.

The CDC came out with a report saying this,but people still paniced.

The current worry is "crumb" rubber.

I can't find any objective study that shows any corelation between "crumb" rubber "infill" and players developing health problems.

Given the number of fields that use this "infill", if it was as "dangerous" as some people say,there should be numerous,not isolated cases of cancer.

Everybody is concerned about "crumb" rubber for athletic fields,but they have been using pretty much the same stuff (rubber muclh) on playgrounds for years.

Kids roll around in that stuff and I've never read of any problems.

The biggest problem I know about for "crumb" rubber is that it will get uniforms dirty.

Thanks for some professional perspective.

The one Senator co-sponsoring the bill is a nice, concerned man whom I have met but I admit, he never misses a microphone nor a photo op.

His State is also currently looking at the effects of pesticides in lawn care and what relation they have to childhood health, personality development and moods and brain struggles as it relates to use where kids roll in the grass alot (public parks, school fields, etc.) Interestingly, that study correlated with the number of young children getting sick after parents allowed them to play in parks frequented by other residents walking their dogs and not picking up after them. The study was looking at the grass, not the parenting. However, I have also seen in the medical school of the same most noted university doing the above studies another medical study which discusses the benefits of medicinal human excrement for fighting certain human bacteria deficiencies and problems. It all starts getting a bit absurd to imagine for me, perhaps you too.

The consistent complaint that I have heard from many who teach drill in various DCI corps is that there is a different personal balance needed when the field is comprised of rubber crumbs; the pivots, slides, quick turns, and standing from kneels and prone positions need a different focus as the foot tends to slide out more from under the knee and ankle..

To me this marching technique discussion hearkens back to the old tapes given by J. Clarke Williams and Hank Grana, both DCI visual judges of great repute, who used to discuss in critique whether the individual corps practiced on an asphalt parking lot, a natural grass field, or the very new artificial turf. It would show in competition if the contest field was different from what the corps generally used. Today corps practice on so many different venues that all are more aware, some better than others.

Edited November 12, 2015 by xandandl

[BRASSO]

. However, I have also seen in the medical school of the same most noted university doing the above studies another medical study which discusses the benefits of medicinal human excrement for fighting certain human bacteria deficiencies and problems. I

.

Can we all vote here in the rest of the country to allow Colorado residents be the first to test out this medicinal value ? Who knows, if it makes them more healthy there, I just might be persuaded to eat less beef and more chicken as a starter to perhaps considering this stuff later.