Rapids Indoor Facility Will Feature A Brand New Turf Product
Posted by: Finn Ruehrdanz | Indoor Facility Manager
It’s the question on everyone’s mind, how do we make The Eddy the best and safest indoor soccer facility it can be? As we worked to design the optimal training space, we poured months of research into selecting the top-quality synthetic turf on the market. After considering all the factors, we selected the brand new AstroTurf LigaTurf Legend product.
The LigaTurf series from AstroTurf is a soccer-specific product line featuring grass-like traction and reduced torque to players. The LigaTurf Legend is the newest addition to this line, and The Eddy will be the first facility to install this FIFA-certified product. Paired with an Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) infill (1lb per sq/ft), silica sand (3 lbs per sq/ft) and Brock’s SP Series pad, we are confident the turf fields within The Eddy will provide the ultimate player experience.
Infill is the loose particles that are brushed into the synthetic turf carpet. The EPDM infill we have selected for the turf is critical to simulating the traction of grass. While it looks similar to crumb rubber (recycled tires) and plays like crumb rubber, EPDM is notably not crumb rubber. The EPDM we use inside The Eddy is odorless, metaless, not oily, and produces little to no dust. As a result, EDPM has been recognized as a high-quality alternative to the crumb rubber common in artificial fields. Not only does this infill receive top reviews due to durability and shock absorbance, it has strong resistance to atmospheric and chemical agents. This EPDM infill passed the EN 71-3 Heavy Metals Analysis (a measure of toy safety regulated by the European Commission) with flying colors, and has been determined to be safe to play on. In addition, EPDM has been independently tested to meet the very strict California’s Prop 65 regulations and is 100% recyclable and sustainable. One of the most common places you’ll see EPDM rubber used is for the ground of your local park to help protect against falls.
For the padding under the turf, we have selected the Brock’s SP Series shock pads, specifically engineered to optimize safety for artificial turf during impacts. These shock pads are engineered specifically for artificial turf fields and the impacts that it will experience during play. Fields that utilize an SP Series shock pad have been proven to last longer and outperform the leading competitors. Together with our selected turf and infill, this shock pad will keep the field stiff for running and soft for impacts.
We would like to thank AstroTurf and the U.S. Soccer Foundation (USSF) for awarding Rapids Youth Soccer with a $30,000 grant to help fund our selection of this superior turf installment. This grant was awarded as part of the USSF’s Safe Places to Play program, which aims to provide underserved communities with safe and accessible areas to play soccer. As a result, the Rapids Youth Soccer Outreach program will be able to extend our mission of providing free soccer programming to underserved players in the community into The Eddy indoor training facility.
