TAUNTON, Mass., Sept. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Massachusetts' premier sports complex brand will unveil the state's largest fully lighted artificial field this fall. Fore Kicks Indoor and Outdoor Sports Complex in Taunton recently paired with AstroTurf®, the pioneers of the synthetic turf industry, to bring nearly 500,000 square feet of artificial turf to its latest development. The multi-sport venue is slated for a grand opening in early October, joining the highly successful facilities of the Fore Kicks franchise in Marlborough and Norfolk. Along with a comprehensive indoor structure containing multiple artificial fields and sport courts, Fore Kicks Taunton will feature an enormous outdoor surface that is unmatched in the state of Massachusetts.
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The impressive outdoor feature, unique to the Fore Kicks Taunton location, will be the four full size soccer fields. The fields will be adjoined in such a way as to essentially create one giant playing surface encompassing nearly 300,000 square feet of artificial turf. Each of the four Olympic sized soccer fields will also be divided by lineage to accommodate several smaller soccer fields as well as lacrosse and field hockey. Accentuating the expansive, state-of-the-art AstroTurf playing field will be a premium Musco lighting system, considered the gold standard in sports and stadium lighting. A fully lighted artificial field of this size will be the first of its kind in Massachusetts.
"We are excited to be partnering with AstroTurf to bring the highest quality playing surfaces to our newest Fore Kicks location in Taunton," said Fore Kicks President Tom Teager. "We strive for excellence in every aspect of the sports experience at Fore Kicks, and a cutting edge AstroTurf synthetic turf system achieves that standard and then some."
Billed as the newest, largest and most complete line of sports complexes in New England, the Fore Kicks franchise delivers comprehensive facilities that cater to the athletic needs of all ages, sports and skill levels. Fore Kicks Taunton will offer the area a year-round venue for school and club team training and practice, youth and rec leagues, tournament hosting, as well as camps and clinics with professional instruction for youngsters, including the nationally acclaimed Lil' Kickers Soccer Clinic. Fore Kicks Taunton will also offer unique accommodations for special events, birthday parties, and corporate business meeting and team building exercises. And with its Executive Weighting Room Fitness Center and indoor driving range, the facility provides its members with the opportunity to stay in shape on a daily basis, or kick back and unwind in the Sports Lounge.
Although all three of the Fore Kicks locations offer a comprehensive sports and recreational experience, each facility has its own unique footprint. The signature feature of the Taunton destination is the immense outdoor field. The artificial playing surface encompasses four full size Olympic soccer fields, which in turn each hold two 8x8 soccer fields, four 6x6 soccer fields, a full size field hockey pitch and a full size lacrosse field. Complete with a gold standard Musco sports lighting system, the field will accommodate a wide variety of team sport activities day and night. It takes an exceptional playing surface to handle that kind of workload and still deliver quality performance, and the Fore Kicks team turned to AstroTurf and their GameDay Grass™ 3DXtreme synthetic turf system to answer the call.
"AstroTurf is thrilled to be involved with such a fantastic project," said Bryan Peeples, President of AstroTurf. "The Fore Kicks mission to provide top notch athletic facilities to players of all ages and competition levels is both admirable and exciting. We feel that the wide array of sporting options demonstrates the versatility of our AstroTurf playing surfaces, which are considered to be the finest in the world."
AstroTurf's GameDay Grass 3DXtreme product will cover the mammoth outdoor playing surface. The artificial turf system combines AstroTurf's monofilament Horseshoe™ fiber with a high performance slit film. The Horseshoe fiber has an Omega-shape, which is more resilient and bounces back, staying upright longer. The slit film offers the ultimate in durability. And the coup de grace of the 3D system is the patented RootZone® technology, a thatched layer of textured nylon which stabilizes the rubber infill, minimizing splash while maintaining a level of consistency unmatched in other infill turf systems. It's not uncommon for these fields to withstand numerous years' worth of heavy use and still hold true to form. Speed, performance, safety, and aesthetics are the GameDay Grass hallmarks, making it a signature surface for AstroTurf.
Fore Kicks Taunton will also feature an 180,000 square foot indoor facility which will house two full size soccer fields, also lined for multi-sport usage, as well as a boarded playing surface to be used for box lacrosse and boarded soccer. Although the two soccer fields will also feature GameDay Grass 3DXtreme, the indoor boarded soccer field will feature another of AstroTurf's cutting edge products, the PureGrass® system. PureGrass is a premium extra plush turf with high fiber density that utilizes No Fill Required (NFR) technology. The artificial surface is engineered to simulate the look, feel, and playability of natural grass without the need for rubber infill, making it an ideal fit for the fast-paced, close-in action of boarded soccer and box lacrosse. The Atlantic Sports Group, a Certified AstroTurf Distributor and one of New England's leading sports field construction outfits will handle installation of both the outdoor and indoor fields.
The remarkable new multi-sport complex in Taunton joins two other impressive facilities in the Fore Kicks family. Fore Kicks Marlborough opened six years ago and features a 135,000 square foot indoor megaplex complete with several fields and sport courts, fitness center, driving range, concessions, a restaurant, and two full sized lighted outdoor artificial turf fields. Fore Kicks Norfolk opened eleven years ago and boasts a similar indoor sports multiplex with conference center, pro shop, and a lighted nine-hole outdoor golf course. The Norfolk location was the recent recipient of a facelift when AstroTurf replaced its artificial indoor field with a brand new synthetic turf playing surface.
Spectacular multi-sport complexes, although a new and emerging trend, are by no means unfamiliar to the team at AstroTurf. Within their portfolio you'll find clients such as Starfire Sports, whose complex located just outside of Seattle, Washington is considered the premier dedicated soccer campus in the country, as well as the training home for MLS' Seattle Sounders FC. You'll also find Spooky Nook Sports, whose massive 800,000 square foot indoor complex located in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, which is surrounded by 8 multipurpose AstroTurf fields, opened to the public this summer. And be on the lookout for Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, a $20 million sports tourism destination with seven state-of-the-art synthetic turf fields from AstroTurf slated to open in the spring of 2014.
About AstroTurf
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 www.astroturf.com.
SOURCE AstroTurf
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