Placement of Field
Events in a Multi-Use
Synthetic Turf Venue
Presented by: Beals Alliance, Inc.
Jay Beals – President and CEO
Tony Wood – Associate Sr. Landscape Architect
ASBA Conference
Daytona Beach, Florida
December 3, 2006 1:15 pm – 2:30 pm
CPR
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Context: Increasing demands placed on
stadium facilities
Purpose: Communicating design alternatives
Intended Results:
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Provide historical context to current needs
Provide understanding of multi-sport challenges
Provide guidelines for alternative solutions
Agenda
Historical Context
 Current Challenges
 Meeting the Challenge
 Looking to the Future
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Why are we here?
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Increase in types of sport
Multi-gender facilities
Youth and adult participation
Specialization
Facility overuse
Maintenance challenges
Multi-sports
Historical Context: Mid 1970s to 2000s
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440 Yard Track and Field
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220 yard straightaway
Equal quadrant 4 x 110 yrds
8 lanes @ 36” wide
Shared Events
 Football
 Track & Field
 Graduation
Historical Context: Mid 1970s to 2000s
Historical Context: Mid 1970s to 2000s
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Football
Only sport in town
 Standard field size
 53 x 120 yards
 Fits inside 440 yard track
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Historical Context: Mid 1970s to 2000s
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Land Was Cheap
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Cost comparison of acreage in the US
using Sacramento, CA as an example:
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
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$20K/acre
$50k/acre
$100k/acre
$500k/acre
An increase of 25 times, or 2500%
Historical Context: Mid 1970s to 2000s
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Title IX of the Educational
Amendments of 1972
“No person in the US shall, on the basis of sex
be excluded from participation in, or denied the
benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination
under any educational programs or activity
receiving federal aid.”
Historical Context: Mid 1970s to 2000s
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Title IX: Women to have equal
opportunities as men on a whole, not
individual basis
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Athletic financial assistance
Accommodations of athletic interest and
abilities
Other program areas on program not sport
by sport basis
Locker rooms, practice and competitive
facilities
Historical Context: Mid 1970s to 2000s
Comparison of sports
1970s
2000s
Football (M)
2 teams
Football (M)
2 teams
Baseball (M)
2 teams
Baseball (M)
2 teams
Track & Field (M)
1 team
Track & Field (M/W)
1 team
Softball (W)
2 teams
Soccer (M/W)
4 teams
Optional additions:
Field Hockey (W)
2 teams
Lacrosse (M/W)
2 teams
Rugby (M)
1 team
Historical Context: Mid 1970s to 2000s
Comparison to present
PE
Interscholastic
Extracurricular
Summer
Lighted Field
Total (annually)
Hours
1960s
970
260
30
0
20
1275
Hours
2000s
970
580
416
86
322
2372
Current Challenges
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Soccer Invasion
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Growth in #s since mid 1970s
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Years
1964
Data from National organization AYSO (American Youth
Soccer Organization)
An increase of 18.5 times, or 1,850% (from 1974 to 2006)
# of
players
registered
100
1974
35,000
2006
650,000
700000
600000
500000
400000
Area 1
300000
200000
100000
0
1974
1984
1994
2004
Current Challenges
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Shift in Sport Emphasis
Soccer
 Football
 Track
 Baseball/Softball
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Current Challenges
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Use and Wear Factor
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Residential – “Front Yard”
Park – Walking/Light Play
Park – Casual Play
Athletic – Baseball/Softball Outfield
Athletic – Physical Education
Athletic – Baseball Turf Infield
Athletic – Soccer
Athletic – Football
Athletic – Lacrosse
Athletic – Field Hockey
Athletic – Rugby
Clinics/Camps
.0 - .5
1.0
1.25
1.25
1.5
1.75
2.0
2.0
2.25
2.25
2.5
2.5
Current Challenges
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Reduction in manpower and funding
Less people per acre
 More sports and people per acre
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Increased expectations
Safety
 Keeping up with the Joneses
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Current Challenges
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Litigious Society
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Gmax
Expanded landing areas
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Better athletes
Better technology
Expanded safety zones
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2 yards for football
5 yards for soccer
Meeting the Challenges
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The response: synthetics
Track: all-weather
 Turf: synthetic infill
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Meeting the Challenge
Meeting the Challenge
Meeting the Challenge
Meeting the Challenge
Meeting the Challenge
Meeting the Challenge
Meeting the Challenge
Meeting the Challenge
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Space: The Last Frontier
Impact of soccer
 Lack of unused land
 Cost of land
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Meeting the Challenge
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Variance in Field Size
65X116 YRD
75X116 YRD
70X116 YRD
80X120 YRD
Meeting the Challenge
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Track
Size and shape
 Number of lanes
 Synthetics
 Other
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Meeting the Challenge
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Variance in Track Configuration
Meeting the Challenge
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Field Events
Meeting the Challenge
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Field Events
Meeting the Challenge
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Field Events
Meeting the Challenge
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Field Events
Meeting the Challenge
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Example: American River College
Meeting the Challenge
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Example: Woodcreek High School
Meeting the Challenge
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Example: Rosenburg Stadium – Burton Fields
Meeting the Challenge
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Example: Joe Debely Stadium
Meeting the Challenge
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Example: St. Ignatius Preparatory
Meeting the Challenge
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Stadium Examples
Meeting the Challenge
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Stadium Examples
Meeting the Challenge
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Stadium Examples
Meeting the Challenge
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Stadium Examples
Meeting the Challenge
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Stadium Examples
Meeting the Challenge
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Stadium Examples
Meeting the Challenge
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Stadium Examples
Looking to the Future
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Next Invasions?
Lacrosse – it fits
 Field Hockey – it fits
 Rugby – it can fit, but like
soccer has variable field sizes
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Looking to the Future
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Increasing demand on land
A motorized $ of land over the
next 30 years
 Projected population growth
 Extrapolated translation to #s in
sports
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Questions and Answers
Questions & Answers