(TUKWILA, Washington)
- Starfire Sports in Tukwila, Washington is one of the world’s premier
soccer campuses. Starfire is in the
process of enhancing that reputation, as they replace their current synthetic
turf system with the world’s premier synthetic turf…..AstroTurf.
Starfire, which boasts 14 fields and a pavilion field, was
founded by Chris Slatt, Steve Beck, and Mark Bickham in 2003, when they had the
idea of combining inclusiveness and access to world-class soccer facilities. When a budget shortfall caused King County to
close a number of its parks and recreational facilities, an opportunity arose
which led to the dream becoming a reality.
Starfire sees more than 100,000 unique visitors each year,
with over a million total annual visits to its campus. The facility hosts nearly 40 tournaments, as
well as serving as the home training facility of Seattle’s MLS team, the
Seattle Sounders FC; and the practice and game facility for the Seattle
Sounders Women, whose 2012 squad includes United States Women’s National Team
players Hope Solo, Megan Rapinoe, Sydney Leroux, and Alex Morgan.
Starfire is also home to several youth soccer teams, and
offer diverse youth and adult soccer programs, including leagues, tournaments,
and kids camps and training.
“We believe that our partnership with AstroTurf is going to
keep Starfire ahead of the curve when it comes to delivering the ultimate
soccer experience,” said Ben Oliver, Starfire General Manager. “The playability, consistency, durability,
and aesthetics of the AstroTurf surfaces are the best we’ve seen and it’s going
to allow our players, at all levels, to practice and compete on the best
surface in the world.”
The initial renovation involves the adidas field, the two
indoor fields, and the pavilion field, which is used for ceremonies, practice,
and tryouts. Five fields at the facility
will remain natural grass fields, but plans are already underway to convert the
remaining fields to AstroTurf.
“Soccer is a growth sport,” said Bryan Peeples, President of
AstroTurf. “As such, the demand for
top-notch facilities which can accommodate a high level and amount of play are
increasing in demand. The AstroTurf
system will meet those needs and exceed expectations.”
The two indoor fields will be made up of the AstroTurf GameDay
Grass XPE52 fiber. This is a slit film
product which provides the most durability and is further enhanced by a face
weight of 52 ounces per square yard, one of the heaviest in the industry.
The pavilion field will be the AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D52
Xtreme. The Horseshoe fiber has a shape
like its namesake, which is more resilient and bounces back, staying upright
longer. It also reflects less light and
heat. That, in combination with AstroFlect
heat reduction technology, can lower surface temperatures by as much as 18%.
The Horseshoe fiber is combined with the slit film product
to provide the best in aesthetics and durability.
The field will also have a RootZone, a thatch layer which
holds the sand and rubber infill in place for less splash and migration, making
for a more consistent playing surface.
The adidas field is the AstroTurf GameDay Grass Q44 product,
which also offers the Xtreme fiber combination.
Construction will be completed in the next few weeks and the
fields will be ready for play for the thousands or league and tournament
players at all levels.
From November 23-25, AstroTurf will join with Starfire in
hosting the AstroTurf Collegiate Showcase, a tournament featuring premier girls
teams from throughout the country.
Collegiate coaches from the community college level to NCAA Division I
will be on hand to evaluate players in the tournament, making this one of the
top showcase tournaments in the nation.
ABOUT STARFIRE SPORTS
Starfire
Sports is a non-profit corporation delivering opportunities for every member of
our community to enjoy the ultimate soccer experience. Starfire
delivers diverse programming for youth and adults,
knowledgeable and professional staff, and a safe and engaging environment for
social interaction and community building. In addition, financial assistance programs, equipment donations and partnerships with
other local and national non-profit organizations mean that all our
community’s youth have access to world-class soccer facilities—regardless of
economic background. For
more information, visit www.starfiresports.com
ABOUT ASTROTURF
AstroTurf offers
advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems
with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging a 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.astroturfusa.com.
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