When tennis plays in favor of the planet (and the fireflies)
Imagine this: New York, the city that never sleeps, decides that maybe, just maybe, a little darkness wouldn’t hurt. And the setting for this rebellion against perpetual glare is none other than the US Open, where the stars are not only on the court, but also, literally, in the sky. Because yes, in a plot twist that not even the most ‘woke’ scriptwriter would have dared to propose, the largest tennis tournament in the world has used LED batteries… and they are dark-friendly.
Under the lights of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Djokovic’s forehands and Gauff’s aces shine with an illumination that doesn’t disperse into the neighborhood or disturb the mental jet-lag of migratory birds. Basically, it is as if the lamps have a GPS that tells them: “light up only the ball, please, not the cosmos.” This complex is the first and only professional sports venue certified by an organization that defends the night sky. In other words, they went from being the ‘good party’ to being the ‘eco-friendly party’.
It’s not just tennis, it’s (a little) common sense
It turns out that stadium lights are like that friend who shouts in the cinema: they bother everyone. They confuse the birds, confuse the frogs, and leave the fireflies wondering if they should turn their butts off because the competition is unfair. Over the last decade, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) switched from metal halide bulbs to protective LED lights. The 17 fields, including Arthur Ashe Stadium, received the seal of approval last year from DarkSky International, an NGO that is basically ‘parental control’ for light pollution.
Chuck Jettmar, managing director of projects for the USTA, summed it up with the elegance of a two-handed backhand: “This is an international event that has an impact on the community. Let’s minimize that and make sure everyone is happy.” In other words, “may the best win, but without blinding the staff.”
The best thing is that the invention not only benefits the stars in the sky. During the qualifying matches, the sound environment is a mix of tennis grunts, cricket chirps and crowd applause. Like a Coachella festival, but with fewer influencers and more sweat.
The domino effect (but in a sustainable version)
What started in New York is spreading like a TikTok viral. Across North America, schools and parks have changed their lighting systems on baseball fields, athletic tracks and other grounds. At Superstition Shadows Park in Arizona, for example, children play baseball at night without frying under the desert sun… and without erasing the Milky Way from the map. Liz Langenbach, the city’s parks director, put it plainly: People go there because “they can get out of the city and still see the stars.” Basically, it is the most romantic ‘selling point’ since candles existed.
Even at the Université Sainte-Anne in Canada, students run on a track with DarkSky-approved lights. Rachelle LeBlanc, university spokesperson, stated: “They are good for everyone: for tourism, for our students, for our neighbors, for the animals with whom we share our campus.” Even northern wood owls, quintessential nocturnal creatures, must be sending thank you notes.
Of course, not everything is perfect. Travis Longcore, a light pollution expert at UCLA, brings us down to reality with a backhanded reversal: “You can have the best, most carefully designed stadium lighting in the world, and you’re still creating light pollution.” In other words, it’s like ordering a vegan burger at McDonald’s: it’s a step, but it won’t save the planet. A small fraction of light still escapes upward, because, let’s be honest, if you don’t see the ball, the game becomes a game of blindfolded pinball.
Renewing a field with this technology can cost 5% to 10% more than traditional lighting, according to James Brigagliano of DarkSky. But most stadiums do it during scheduled maintenance, so the impact on the wallet hurts less. The Musco company, specialized in sports lighting, works in more than 3,000 venues a year. From college football stadiums to railroad yards (yes, even trains want their ‘green’ moment).
In the end, as Longcore said, it is not about turning off all the lights and returning to the torch era, but about “making improvements from where you are.” The US Open is next to the bright lights of Manhattan and Queens, so its individual impact is like a grain of sand in a neon desert. But every luminary counts. And if a massive event like this jumps on the bandwagon, perhaps others will follow suit. After all, if tennis can save the stars, what can’t the rest of us do?
Did you like this story about how sport is doing its part (LED) for the planet? Share it on your networks and tag that friend who still thinks that sustainability is only for hippies. And if you want more stories combining essential oils with motor oils (metaphorically speaking), explore our related content. Because the world is full of brilliant ideas… that don’t dazzle.
