SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/621615
TOOLS & EQUIPMENT 42 SportsTurf | January 2016 www.sportsturfonline.com S ports turf and indoor training as we know it is about to change. Dollamur Sports Surfaces recently introduced its newest product, GymTurf 365, developed in partner- ship with Shaw Sports Turf. This portable, indoor syn- thetic sports turf will answer many high school coaches' prayers by addressing the need for sports teams to practice safely and effectively inside during periods of inclement weather or field scheduling issues. Mobility. GymTurf 365 provides athletes and coaches with a safe and playable surface to compete on year-round at the same in- tensity as an outdoor practice. It's portable and can be installed in 30 minutes or less, turning any building into an indoor practice fa- cility. Next time it rains or snows, GymTurf 365 enables your team to continue practicing, bypassing any weather roadblocks. "We are excited to launch a product that currently doesn't ex- ist in the sports turf arena," says Dave Rossi, Dollamur Senior Vice President. "GymTurf 365 addresses the needs of coaches and athletes across the country by offering a safe, efficient and mobile way to train indoors." Safety and playability. Safety and playability are two of the most important qualities in sports turf. GymTurf 365 offers low- impact, anti-abrasive flooring that is engineered to reduce injury and impact. It requires no infill, so even those annoying loose, rubber particles are absent. GymTurf 365 features Dollamur's patented FLEXI-Connect technology, an integrated feature that connects turf sections without additional fasteners or tape. The patented system, which uses built-in hook and loop connections to join turf rolls, expe- dites set-up and tear down. It ensures the turf will not separate between seams for a "no slip, just grip" surface. GymTurf 365 meets international soccer standards for artificial surfaces. The grip of the turf and the bounce of the ball pass requirements for competitive play as well. In northern regions, it can be a challenge to practice baseball and softball. Even if the snow has melted, you still have to contend with the cold rain. Players risk injuries from slipping on slick sur- faces as well as illness from exposure to weather conditions. In the past, the only alternative was to move indoors, which forced players to use plastic practice balls on a hardwood or concrete surface. With GymTurf 365, baseball and softball teams can practice indoor on a padded turf surface with official balls, resulting in a true bounce that will simulate an actual field. Consequently, practice is more productive and players are better protected. There really is no limit when it comes to who will benefit from the development of this revolutionary solution. Schools, park districts, multi-sport facilities and fitness clubs will all see posi- tive results. The battle for school budget dollars can be fierce. One coach wants a new piece of equipment that will benefit his or her team, while another coach is requesting money for something else. Un- fortunately, position specific gear can be expensive and, in many cases, it is only used by a few athletes. One of the most exciting aspects of GymTurf 365 is the number of athletes who benefit from using it. When it is not being used by team practices, it can be used for physical education classes during bad weather or summer sports camps. It's a purchase that benefits nearly every student. Those types of expenditures are rare among sports equipment. ■ ST Dollamur Sport Surfaces Portable indoor synthetic turf McQuade and his colleagues installed Magnation on one side of this problematic section, but not on the other, and again found evidence of how well this treatment worked. McQuade sums it up by saying, "Everything being equal on both sides, the one side treated with Magnation appeared to have less dry patches and the turf was denser. I honestly believe that the Magnation treatment helps water penetrate the soil and therefore we're getting deeper roots and healthier turf." With such compelling testimonies from the users of this unique water treatment system, one can't help but be curious why, espe- cially during these times of severe drought conditions, Magnation has not yet gained a higher level of ubiquity. According to Mike Jenzeh, the co-founder and CEO of the Oakland, CA-based com- pany, "Change happens gradually, especially with products that are disrupting the status quo of the way things have been done for decades. But, when you have something that is proven to work again and again in a variety of applications; when the evidence col- lected from hands-on experience by agricultural experts, landscape managers, golf superintendents and the like, becomes undeniable, then people are more willing to give it a try. We're not quite at the tipping point yet, but word is spreading fast and more and more people are turning to us. We have demonstrated that we can help a wide range of water issues, and the proof is in the results." ■ ST Magnation Water Technologies