Join experts in synthetic turf field design and the staff of Bremen High School District 228 on July 18th as they take people to their revolutionary new field at Bremen High School. The event will feature a presentation along with opportunities to walk out onto the newly constructed field. This field is the third to be installed this summer with one more which has already broke ground. Each field was designed to include a Brock ShockPad/14 system and are the first of their kind in Chicagoland area. The necessity to include a shock pad solution became evident the more school district officials researched proposed synthetic turf systems.
One in every five concussions suffered in turf sports is caused by a head-to-turf impact, according to a research report by the Concussion Legacy Foundation. These types of injuries are compounded when a student’s size and physical development are considered. A child’s neck strength and body-to-head ratio may not reach maturity until age 18 or beyond. These factors create a perfect storm for head injuries in contact sports. This data and input from the field architects led to the inclusion of a shock pad solution, according to District 228 Superintendent Bill Kendall.
Nearly 5,000 students utilize the fields throughout the year and preventative safety is a top priority for the school district. “The opportunity to provide our student athletes with a safe and always available playing surface was exciting news, but after our research and commitment to the Brock ShockPad/14 layer, we are confident in this surface not only today, but for years to come,” said Kendall.
The Brock ShockPad/14 safety system provides a G-Max guarantee that the fields will never score above 135 G’s when tested. According to Jim Froslid, Central Region Vice Preident for Brock USA, the G-Max is a fundamental tool of athletic field safety testing. By reducing a field’s G-Max rating from 165 G’s, the current recommended limit by the Synthetic Turf Council, to 100 G’s you reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury by 50% percent, according to a Biomechanica study. “Just remember, the higher the G-Max value, the poorer the impact safety performance of the field’s surface,” said Froslid.
Media will have the opportunity to interview Kendall, Froslid, Lori DeVos, Community Relations Coordinator for BHSD 228, Terry Masterson, District Facilities Manager, and Eric Washington, BHSD 228 Athletic Director.
When: July 18th – 1:00 – 1:30p.m. Where: Bremen High School, 15203 Pulaski Road, Midlothian, IL 60445
