Clemson University Installing New Shaw Sports Turf Field
Clemson, South Carolina (PRWEB) June 04, 2015 -- Clemson University is about to begin work on an all new Shaw Sports Turf field for the Campus Recreation department.
The University’s Outdoor Fitness & Wellness Center will be the site for the new field. Construction is expected to begin the next couple of weeks and will be completed later this summer.
Clemson has over 6,000 students who participate in the school’s intramural programs and the school hosts 36 club teams. In the past, the school has had wait lists for students seeking to use facilities such as fields. The addition of the Shaw Sports Turf field will allow additional programming hours and will help reduce wait lists.
“This is just the first field in a larger project,” said Dave Frock, Executive Director of Campus Recreation. “Our plan is to add more field space, with some being synthetic turf and some being natural grass.”
Medallion Athletics will handle the base construction and installation of the turf system, which is manufactured by Shaw Sports Turf. Clemson is installing the Legion system, which is a combination of high-performance monofilament fibers and a durable slit film fiber. The slit film fiber is a workhorse which will handle the workload, while the monofilament provides a more resilient surface that enhances performance characteristics.
“We chose Medallion and Shaw Sports Turf because they have a great history of successful installations and we have faith in their people and products,” said Frock.
“It’s a great honor to have been awarded this project,” said Todd Penley from Medallion Athletics. “Synthetic turf for intramurals and club sports is growing throughout the country and campus recreation departments are a big part of why students choose a school.”
In fact, according to a study in Recreational Sports Journal, 31% of college students said that intramural sports were an important factor in deciding to attend a school.
Intramural sports have now been on college campuses in the United States for 100 years and continue to grow as an integral part of university life, according to the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA). Approximately 5.3 million students attending schools that offer recreational sports programs participate in or use the facilities offered by these programs. That represents 75% of the total number of students at school’s offering recreational sports.
Of these students, 80% of students participate at least one per week and 90% say they use facilities at least 30 minutes per visit. A university’s facilities are a big factor in a prospective student’s decision to attend school there, as well, with 68% saying campus recreation played a factor.
Also interesting is that 64% of students said that the ability to participate in campus recreation increased their soft skills such as time management, communication, and problem solving.
Club sports are also very important, with over 80 sports being offered and nearly 11,000 clubs participating at colleges in the U.S.
“The Legion system is exactly what Clemson needs to provide the characteristics they are looking for when it comes to aesthetics, durability, playability, availability, and safety,” said Andrew Barksdale, Territory Manager with Shaw Sports Turf. “The field at the Clemson Outdoor Fitness & Wellness Center will be a great source of pride for the Clemson family.”
The funding for the field project was provided by the LoConte family. The field will be ready for play by summer and will be a big part of Campus Recreation’s offerings when the entire student body returns this fall.
About Shaw Sports Turf
A wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Shaw Industries is a full flooring provider to the residential and commercial markets. Shaw supplies carpet, hardwood, laminate, resilient, and tile/ stone flooring products, as well as synthetic turf. Shaw Sports Turf is one of the leading synthetic turf companies in North America and has represented quality and innovation for more than two decades with over 1,500 successful installations, including an impressive list of high-profile field installations. For more information please visit http://www.shawsportsturf.com, call 866-703-4004 or find us on Facebook.
About Medallion Athletics
Medallion Athletic Products is both a licensed general contractor and sub-contractor of athletic surfaces and artificial turf fields required for virtually any sports venue. At Medallion, our plan is straight forward. Partner with the best manufacturers in the business, design and install premium sports surfaces from start to finish, and offer the best customer service support in the industry. You can reach Medallion Athletics at 888-600-3412 or find us online at http://www.medallionathletics.com.
Todd Britton, Shaw Industries, http://shawfloors.com/about-shaw, +1 (706) 217-9690, [email protected]
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