AstroTurf upgrades university soccer field with synthetic turf

During a summer of soccer featuring the FIFA Women’s World Cup and CONACAF Gold Cup, AstroTurf has scored a hat trick of its own.

Appalachian State University men’s and women’s soccer programs, in a joint venture with the Watauga Parks and Recreation Department and High Country Soccer Association have replaced the existing turf on Field 2 at the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex with AstroTurf’s Trionic fiber — a breakthrough blend of blend polyethylene (PE) and nylon fibers that is quickly revolutionizing the synthetic turf world. To produce Trionic fiber, polyethylene and nylon molecules are fused into a copolymer and then extruded as a single fiber. The process chemically blends polyethylene with nylon, providing the softness of current fibers with the durability, strength and resilience of nylon.

Not only will Appalachian State’s “field of dreams” receive a superior fiber but they will also be installing AstroTurf’s RootZone system, which is the top choice for athletes and field owners alike. The RootZone is a texturized layer of fibers that draws down to encapsulate infill, resulting in minimal rubber splash, better shock absorbency, and less infill migration than basic systems.

Appalachian State evaluated other turf providers, including the company that provided the previous playing surface, before choosing AstroTurf. Appalachian State’s men’s and women’s teams practice and play games on the field as do the teams from High Country Soccer Association. The new fields will be on display during the Sun Belt Men’s Conference Soccer Championships this fall.

“We are so excited and so grateful for the new AstroTurf field,” said Appalachian State women’s soccer coach Sarah Strickland. “The girls have raved about the difference in the surfaces and how much better they feel running and training on the new surface. We look forward to hosting matches in the fall at our beautiful facility.”

The Appalachian State men’s and women’s soccer programs aren’t the only ones excited about the new field.

“AstroTurf did a beautiful job returfing our field,” said Rick Suyao, the executive director of the High Country Soccer Association. “Their product met all of our needs as a soccer club, a county park, and an NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Soccer program. In addition to being competitive on price, AstroTurf’s technology of incorporating an additional thatch layer of fiber to add density and help reduce filler “splash” made sense. The result is a soccer playing surface that best resembles plush natural grass. Everyone involved from customer service rep Garret Bare to Tamara Hamblin in accounting have been a pleasure to work with. Installing an artificial surface is a big investment, and we feel really good about AstroTurf’s commitment to maintaining and servicing our new field for the next 10-15 years or more.”

Thanks to AstroTurf’s relationship with OMNIA Partners, Public Sector, Appalachian State, Watauga Parks and Highland Soccer were able to procure their new field quickly while adhering to strict compliancy standards. OMNIA Partners is the nation’s leading cooperative purchasing organization. They offer a portfolio of competitively solicited contracts that have been awarded based on industry best practices and maximum value. It saves institutions time and money by eliminating the administrative costs and hassles of running competitive solicitations on their own.

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About AstroTurf®For athletes and sport enthusiasts, AstroTurf® has redefined the way the game is played. The brand offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority, and safety. To learn more, visit AstroTurf’s website at www.astroturf.com.