She enjoys playing on the turf, and said it makes the soccer field play a lot faster. “It looks really good,” said Dowies. Next year the track surrounding the black field will be painted red.

Soccer referee Natalie Simon is accustomed to being different and carrying a heavy burden as the highest-ranked Black American woman in her field.

The white markings outline the traditional football field and are by far the most striking feature of the new design. Matt Grawrock, the program's athletic director, is thrilled with the new design.

A Soccer Field Can Be Sacred. ... all clad in Newcastle’s black-and-white jerseys, stream in its general direction, it feels as if it occupies the space where, ordinarily, ...