{"id":2447968,"date":"2019-08-25T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-26T03:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=311768"},"modified":"2019-08-26T07:26:09","modified_gmt":"2019-08-26T13:26:09","slug":"aspen-school-district-athletes-get-new-state-of-the-art-turf-field-shock-pad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/aspen-school-district-athletes-get-new-state-of-the-art-turf-field-shock-pad\/","title":{"rendered":"Aspen School District athletes get new state-of-the-art turf field, shock pad"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.8721011946592\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-311768-84\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4.jpg\" alt=\"The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-1.jpg\" alt=\"The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-2.jpg\" alt=\"The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | Brock USA chief media officer Josh Palubicki talks to the crowd about the Aspen School Distrct's new turf field during their annual preseason barbecue event on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019, in Aspen. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Brock USA chief media officer Josh Palubicki talks to the crowd about the Aspen School Distrct&#8217;s new turf field during their annual preseason barbecue event on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019, in Aspen. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-3.jpg\" alt=\"Brock USA chief media officer Josh Palubicki talks to the crowd about the Aspen School Distrct's new turf field during their annual preseason barbecue event on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019, in Aspen. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-4.jpg\" alt=\"The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-5.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-5.jpg\" alt=\"The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-6-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-6.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-6.jpg\" alt=\"The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-7-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-7.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-7.jpg\" alt=\"The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-8-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-8.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/AHSturf-atd-082219-4-8.jpg\" alt=\"The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspen-school-district-athletes-get-new-state-of-the-art-turf-field-shock-pad\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspen-school-district-athletes-get-new-state-of-the-art-turf-field-shock-pad\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">Not all turf is created equal, and the playing surface the Aspen High School athletes now find themselves competing on rivals that of many professionals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Aspen School District replaced its 13-year-old turf field over the summer, upgrading with a new shock pad and infill that gives the Skiers the newest technology under their cleats.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s a fantastic field. It\u2019s the best products out there. We\u2019ve put a great field together for our kids,\u201d AHS athletic director Martha Richards said. \u201cEverything about it is healthier. And it\u2019s an incredible performing field, too. It\u2019s not only that we wanted great healthy products, we wanted it to perform at a really high level. And this is as good a field as you\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The crux of the new turf is what\u2019s underneath. Richards brought in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brockusa.com\/\">Boulder-based Brock USA<\/a> to install its state-of-the-art shock pad and infill \u2014 called BrockFILL \u2014 in what ended up being a roughly $800,000 project budgeted by the district. The shock pad includes a 25-year warranty and the new turf should last more than a decade.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The new turf surface \u2014 which is more than 96,000 square feet \u2014 is a product of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenfieldsusa.com\/\">Tennessee-based GreenFields.<\/a> Denver\u2019s Academy Sports Turf was the contractor that managed the different entities of the project.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s going to be one of the best playing surfaces we\u2019ll see in the conference,\u201d AHS boys soccer coach Dave Francis said. \u201cThe bounce is definitely more true than a traditional turf. So it\u2019s going to feel a little more like grass. It\u2019s not quite as quick as our old one was.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The new field made its official debut last week when the AHS boys soccer team hosted Basalt in the season opener, falling 2-1 in overtime.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Artificial turf fields have long been little more than a thin piece of fake grass put down over concrete. The infill used in most cases was sand and crumb rubber, essentially recycled tires that was often seen as unsafe, for a variety of reasons. BrockFILL is made of a softwood pine that provides better, natural footing and cooler field temperatures than crumb rubber, while the shock pad makes sports like football much safer. From the turf to the shock pad, there is about 3 inches of material between the athletes and the base.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThat shock pad layer has allowed the industry to move away from that crumb rubber and that is now what\u2019s installed here in Aspen,\u201d said Brock USA chief media officer Josh Palubicki. \u201cWe\u2019ve been striving to find a true replacement for crumb rubber to appease people\u2019s concerns for their children and its impact on the environment and its heat issues.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Crumb rubber is a main reason older turf fields have a tendency to reach unsafe temperatures, which could be 30 to 40 degrees higher than the ambient air temperature. The softwood used in BrockFILL has the ability to absorb moisture out of the air, which Palubicki said is slowly released throughout the day to help create a cooler playing surface.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Brock USA team used an infrared drone to compare surface temperature on its newly installed Aspen field and the more traditional turf located on the Aspen Recreation Center\u2019s Iselin Field, and found the BrockFILL kept temperatures more than 20 degrees cooler.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Brock USA also claims its product is environmentally friendly and recyclable and through its heating process the softwood is resistant to fungus and mold. The field has extensive drainage channels that should eliminate the possibility of standing water due to rain or melted snow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe BrockFILL will never go to a landfill,\u201d Palubicki said. \u201cFor every tree that is harvested to create the infill, 10 more are planted. We only work with certified, sustainable managed forests. And the shock pad underneath will also never go to a landfill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Brock USA works with many college and professional teams. A handful of NFL franchises, including the Cowboys, Texans and Patriots, use BrockFILL in their practice facilities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The most noticeable difference for the general fan in Aspen will be the new black end zones. The old field had green end zones that matched the rest of the field. Richards pointed out how the end zone closest to town reads \u201cAspen\u201d while the end zone closest to Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk reads \u201cSkiers.\u201d The new surface also has permanent lines in place for girls lacrosse and for coaching boxes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe old turf field had seen its time, and getting a new field in here, safety-wise, is priority No. 1,\u201d AHS football coach Travis Benson said. \u201cNo. 2 is having the consistent surface. Obviously there is no secret anymore in my second year as head coach that we like to throw the ball and spread things out and play in space. Any time you can get stable footing is a great home-field advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The AHS football team will open its season Sept. 7 on the new turf field against Bayfield in what will be a preseason top-10 matchup.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">For Richards, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/martha-richards-named-new-athletic-director-at-aspen-high-school\/\">who took over in 2017<\/a>, the installation of the new field was the conclusion of her first significant project as athletic director.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt feels great. It was a lot on my plate last year,\u201d Richards said. \u201cIt was a big one. I\u2019m excited to have it done because A, I want our kids playing on a better surface. But B, it\u2019s also \u2026 nice for me to get something this big off my plate so I can really focus on our kids and coaches.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:acolbert@aspentimes.com\">acolbert@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspen-school-district-athletes-get-new-state-of-the-art-turf-field-shock-pad\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times The new Aspen School District turf field on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. (Photo [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2447968","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-25 17:21:17","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2447968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2447968"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2447968\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2447978,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2447968\/revisions\/2447978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2447968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2447968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2447968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}