Innovative AstroTurf Field Revitalizes Jesuit High School Stadium
Carmichael, CA (PRWEB) June 29, 2015 -- When Hanson McClain Advisors Stadium at Jesuit High School needed a new field for its nationally-ranked sports teams, school officials wanted cutting-edge technology. AstroTurf, the leader in synthetic turf surfacing, was called in to address the Carmichael, California, school’s needs.
From consultations with the school, architects from Verde Design and field builder Valley Precision Grading learned Jesuit High School officials wanted to completely update the 45-year-old field and were seeking a novel approach to synthetic turf, with maximum utility for Jesuit’s nationally ranked sports teams.
“The Jesuit High School community wanted a field which could accommodate football and soccer,” said Fr. David Suwalsky, school president. “Installing turf rather than keeping grass would also allow a safer, year-round playing surface. Last year, there were 48 football games on the field; now, we can schedule football, soccer, rugby and lacrosse without concern for field conditions.”
The field, one of AstroTurf’s signature Golden Series products (named for the brand’s 50th anniversary), is an extremely dense, short-pile turf system. It boasts twice as much fiber as older fields, giving Jesuit a plush turf system with maximum durability and longevity. The Golden Series products use a specialized RootZone® fiber system that is bulkier than typical RootZones. This second layer of crimped nylon fibers is not used to hold infill in place, as it does in AstroTurf’s 3D line that made the technology popular, but instead serves to lift the taller fibers and provide additional resiliency.
The Golden Series includes a unique tire-free infill material called ZeoFill. ZeoFill has a consistency similar to sand, but is actually a mineral sold in health food stores that holds (but does not require) water, thereby creating an evaporative cooling effect. The infill provides excellent ballast and speed to the turf system – a quality greatly appreciated by Jesuit’s soccer team, which was ranked second in the state and 17th in the nation last year.
The fact that the ZeoFill does not require water made it an optimal choice for a school looking to protect the environment by conserving water in the midst of California’s devastating drought.
“Water was a consideration when we reviewed various infill products,” notes Fr. Suwalsky. “Our choices were nudged by the drought. But we were mostly driven by the need to find robust products which would allow the year-long use of the stadium. Removing 100,000 square feet of grass from our watering schedule is very positive, too.”
In addition, notes Fr. Suwalsky, “the new field at Jesuit High School will be one of the safest in California.” Excellent impact attenuation suitable for the rigorous needs of the outstanding football program is achieved by use of a shockpad under the field made by Brock International. The pad-turf combination also yields unparalleled grass-like energy restitution.
The finished product is a unique combination of new technologies, according to David DiGeronimo, Golden Series Product Manager for AstroTurf.
“AstroTurf is proud to provide the surface to meet the needs of the prestigious Jesuit School,” notes DiGeronimo. “Jesuit has always been a leader in California athletics, and their forward-thinking product selection is a testament to this leadership.”
About AstroTurf
AstroTurf prides itself as the leading innovator in the synthetic turf market. For athletes and sport enthusiasts, AstroTurf has redefined the way the game is played. The company offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging the industry’s first vertically integrated manufacturing system. 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 http://www.astroturf.com.
Sydney Squires, AstroTurf, http://www.astroturf.com, +1 5124235164, [email protected]
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