The Practice Field

In 2018, a professional soccer club in New England sought to build a brand-new state-of-the-art training facility. The facility would sit at the front of a 68-acre parcel of land, and 226,500 square feet of space directly behind the building would be used for three outdoor natural grass fields. These fields are essential for soccer teams to hone their skills and reach their full potential. Practice fields provide a realistic and controlled environment where players can develop and perfect techniques and practice team strategies. To keep the team in top condition, the club desired a solution to the winter weather of the region, restricting them to indoor artificial turf fields. While at first not seeming to be an issue, during the regular season, the team plays on natural grass, which provides better traction and stability for players, allowing them to make quick turns and runs. Natural grass fields also offer a softer playing surface than turf, reducing the risk of injury. Grass is not typically used for indoor soccer fields, as it requires an abundance of natural light as well as regular watering and mowing. Additionally, when used indoors, natural grass would likely not withstand the constant use requirements of a soccer field and would die out quickly. Thus, the solution would have to be an outdoor natural grass field that could withstand the team’s daily use and the New England region’s cold, snowy, and windy winters, where temperatures quickly drop to freezing or below. 2 | The Practice Field Name Location Project Size Project Manager Designers Supply House Products Used The Practice Field Foxboro, Massachusetts 226,500 ft 2 Outdoor Grass Field, 99,360 ft 2 of Heated Field Dennis Brolin of Sports Turf Specialties Curt Martin & Rich McNally of Legend Independent Pipe of Canton, MA 3/4” LegendFlex ® PEX Tube, Plastic Tube Mounting Rails (800-334) : : : : : : : Project : Details