Macon-Bibb and Griffin-Spalding School Districts Kickoff 2019 Season with 'Cool'er Fields and Enhanced Technology to Better Protect Athletes

Sports Turf Company, a sports facility construction and specialty surfacing company, is excited to announce that it has completed installation of new fields at two prestigious high school stadiums:  Macon-Bibb County Ed Defore Stadium and Griffin-Spalding County Memorial Stadium.  Sports Turf continues to raise the bar for performance, safety, playability and durability of artificial turf fields in the Southeast, thanks to its innovative technology solutions.

Sports Turf is the first in the world to marry AstroTurf’s Rootzone performance turf technology with Brock USA’s Powerbase pad and Brockfill infill. Here’s how this system is a game changer for artificial turf fields:

• AstroTurf Rootzone Blend HD Artificial Turf– An incredibly dense three fiber turf system that adds a RootZone layer of texturized fibers that encapsulate infill, provide better shock absorbency, and less infill migration or “rubber splash” than traditional systems. The turf is comprised of both slit-film fibers and AstroTurf’s patented Trionic fiber, combining nylon and polyethylene for fiber that lasts up to 50% longer. Overall these systems look great for the life of the field, provide improved play and offer longer durability.
• Brock Powerbase YSR Shockpad – The system is designed to make artificial turf fields safer and better playing for athletes by providing better force reduction under the field surface, ensuring consistency of force reduction across the field surface, and removing the need for rubber particles. Brock pads and infill technology are leading the industry in the realm of Gmax and HIC testing and also by providing their own stand-alone manufacturer’s warranty covering these components separately.
• BrockFILL Infill– Utilizing a wood fiber based infill, the field maintains a lower temperature, potentially as much as 50^o Benefits to a wood infill include that it is organic, so there is no hazardous waste; a renewable resource that’s sustainably grown and manufactured in Georgia; incredibly durable; affordable; and provides a fast, firm field surface with cleat interaction that most closely resembles a well maintained natural grass field.

“We searched tirelessly for a playing surface that would improve the safety of our athletes,” said Eddie Payne, Athletic Director of Griffin-Spalding High School.  “After meeting with more than 20 vendors, it became clear that the team at Sports Turf provided the best, most unique and affordable field solution that met all of our criteria, including safety to maintenance to durability.  We’re excited to have the new field in time for the 2019 football season.”

Barney Hester, Athletic Director for Bibb County School District, echoed Payne’s comments by saying, “The first consideration was safety. Bottom line. Safety from a concussion standpoint. Safety from a heat standpoint. Safety from a footing standpoint. I don’t know that there is another option. If you are going to install turf, you have to put the pad under it. Following our research and due diligence, once we chose Brock, we felt like it was really a no-brainer.”

The new technology offers more than just safety. It also is about improving playability and cleat interaction with the field. Turf fields can still provide concussion safety while being firm and fast under foot.

Coach “Spoon” Risper, Head Football Coach of Westside Seminoles, offered, “You can get in and out of cuts quicker on this turf. The athletes playing wide receiver, running back and line backer are explosive, so they are trying to get from point-A to point-B as fast as possible. This surface helps with that speed, because it’s not as bouncy as fields with rubber beads.”

Technology has improved significantly in recent years and the industry’s understanding of how to build fields that more closely mimic well-maintained, natural grass surfaces has finally reached a point where the industry measures both natural grass and artificial turf fields by the same set of standards.

“Football fields are often considered a representation of the school, so it’s an honor to be selected to renovate and upgrade the Bibb and Spalding County fields” said Todd Wiggins, President of Sports Turf Company. “It is even more exciting to have partners working with us and owners with the courage to lead the way with first-of-its-kind technology that solves complex age-old problems with artificial turf systems. These fields are game-changing and highlight Sports Turf’s enduring commitment to athlete safety as our top priority.”

Sports Turf Company is a 27-year Georgia-based, athletics construction company specializing in natural grass and artificial turf field construction, and track surfacing. Sports Turf Company has three Certified Field Builders and two Certified Track Builders as recognized by American Sports Builders Association (ASBA), more than any other company in the Southeastern U.S.