Welcome to AstroTurf
Since 1965, the AstroTurf brand has been driven by forward thinking ingenuity. Today AstroTurf continuously improves its system design to deliver playing surfaces with the most realistic, sport-specific performance, longest lasting durability, and sound player protection.
Welcome to the Second Half of the AstroTurf Century!
Latest News
AstroTurf Announces the Addition of United Turf and Track to Distributor Network
Dalton, GA – AstroTurf Corporation is pleased to announce the addition of United Turf and Track, a prominent construction and installation specialist, of Acadia, Oklahoma to its vast nationwide network of synthetic turf distributors and installers. The addition of...
5 Minutes with Doug “Whitey” White
Welcome to our series of Five Minutes with… blogs that will feature interviews with AstroTurf’s staff of experts, partners, clients and friends. We hope you learn something about our industry and the great people associated with it. Today we talk with Doug “Whitey” White, AstroTurf’s Director of Baseball Operations.
Doug, you’ve been around the game of baseball all of your life. Tell us how Doug the baseball coach became Doug the AstroTurf salesman and how the two are intertwined.
I was very fortunate in my coaching career to have coached with several different terrific teachers and mentors. To this day I am thankful to Brad Hill for giving me a chance to coach with him at Hutchinson Community College as his pitching coach. I am also thankful for being hired by my former coach, Rick Dreiling, as the pitching coach of my alma mater, Butler County Community College. I have been an assistant coach with some terrific people like B.D. Parker, the former coach at Butler County Community College and former head coach at Nicholls State University, and Coach Mark Hogan, the retired coach from Southeastern Missouri, Ed Yeager (NBC World Series champion, Wichita Broncos in the summer of 1990) who is the current athletic director at Chandler Gilbert Community College in Chandler Arizona. I was fortunate to coach against legendary coaches like Gary Roarke, the retired baseball coach at Crowder Community College, Lloyd Simmons, “Coach Zero”, from Seminole Junior College, the Burroughs brothers (Dave and Lefty) at Cowley County Community college and so many others.
The best advice I give young coaches today is to coach with and for as many coaches that you can to receive different perspectives. As the former head coach at Coffeyville Community College, I had tremendous assistant coaches that were paid virtually no money, guys like Russ Ringgenberg the great centerfielder out of Kansas State University, Ken Peters the former player at Tarkio college was a terrific pitching coach, I learned a great deal from Gordon Tipton the former pitcher at Oklahoma State University, and then there is Scott Hennessy, the current head coach for the Tulsa Drillers who I stole a lot of hitting tips from. These coaching relationships have allowed me to become a trusted advisor to many of my former coaches, players and colleagues.
What sets AstroTurf’s baseball products apart from and above other industry offerings?
Without a doubt RootZone, ERA mound, and our infield nylon clay fiber sets us way apart. AstroTurf has technology that is unmatched in the industry. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and we are ironically witnessing several of our competitors trying to imitate our RootZone technologies. These pretenders cannot replicate the nylon technology that goes into our baseball products. I am reaping the benefits from the technology that Matthew Boggs help create.
What do you tell someone who asks you if they should turf the baseball mound or leave it natural?
Without a doubt turf the mound. But also build an additional natural clay mound in the bullpen to allow pitchers to adjust to the ever changing shape of a natural clay mound. I had one Division I coach tell me that he “was 100% against artificial turf mounds and now that he has seen the benefits, he is 70% for it.” It is absurd to me to allow an 18 foot diameter circle be the reason that a game is cancelled or postponed due to rain. Also you eliminate having to hear pitchers cry about having to fix the mound after a home game. I would rather see them running foul poles.
How do you advise a customer who is seeking to extend the life of their turf for 3 to 4 years past the warranty?
Transplanting high wear areas from the outfield warning track to the slide area around first base and the slide into second base. The warning track on the baseball field receives zero wear, and consequently it’s important to have the ability to transplant those areas. Also, there are currently 4 different shoe companies (Mizuno, Adidas, New Balance, and Nike) that provide a baseball cleat specifically for artificial turf that can be used for natural clay and natural grass fields as well. Therefore there is no need to buy two different cleats.
Tell us about a couple of your favorite AstroTurf installations that you have been involved with and what made them special.
We have so many terrific turf partners that are very special to the AstroTurf family. From Oral Roberts, University of Oklahoma, Wichita State University, Oklahoma State, University of Kansas, University of Missouri, Kansas State University, Sam Houston State, Dallas Baptist, Iowa University, Indiana University, Michigan University, Ohio State, University of San Francisco, Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Duke, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, St. John’s, Tulane, Boston College, Washington State, Kentucky, Portland University, as well as many notable division II powers like the reigning national champion Augustana College, Pittsburg State University, Missouri Western University, and University of Central Missouri. Our RootZone technology has allowed us to gain 80% of the market share for NCAA clients. As much as I enjoy all of our partners, my favorite projects are the ones that we built for my former colleagues and friends in the Kansas Jayhawk Conference. Johnson County Community College with Coach Kent Shelley was a terrific project, Coach Phil Stephenson at Dodge City Community College, and our current installation at Barton County Community college with Coach Brent Biggs and his staff. I don’t view these projects as work, rather a renewal of old friendships.
University of Texas at San Antonio makes the most out of their new AstroTurf
San Antonio, TX – Schools use the term multipurpose a lot when referring to their playing fields but UTSA has taken it to a new level with the design of their new AstroTurf recreational fields. The 248,430 square feet of premium synthetic turf has been carefully and skillfully designed to accommodate everything from Football to Soccer to Lacrosse and more.
At first glance of UTSA’s new recreational fields it appears that there are just four fields lined up side by side but a closer look reveals much more. One field stands alone as a football practice field for the Roadrunners but the other three are lined to accommodate multiple sports. The layout of flag football fields can handle 6 games at once and the lines for soccer allows for three matches to be played at the same time. Markings that are specific to women’s lacrosse also appear within this framework. While all these fields run vertical, other sport specific boundaries run horizontal across the fields. Men’s Lacrosse and Rugby take up the width of the three fields. 
With so many lines running in different directions it was important to differentiate the field of play for the sports. AstroTurf was able to conquer that issue by making the field lines a different color for each sport. Football lines appear in white, Soccer lines are crimson, Men’s Lacrosse lines are bright blue, and orange lines for Women’s Lacrosse. With careful scheduling, many different Roadrunner sports will be able to be played weekly on this new surface.
With so much activity on the rec fields of UTSA, it was important for them to choose a surface that would stand up to the rigorous activity occurring at the facility each week. They chose wisely by selecting AstroTurf’s RootZone 3D3 Blend of synthetic turf. This is a premium product that combines slit film and monofilament fibers for optimum durability and structural integrity. It also features AstroTurf’s patented RootZone sub-layer, a texturized fiber that stabilizes the infill. All of these elements combine to deliver an aesthetically pleasing playing surface that’s high on durability, safety and performance.
“Our fields are used by our students for general recreation, intramurals, club sports, and competitive team sports so the durability and playability that AstroTurf offers is very important to us, said UTSA Campus Recreation Director Laura Munroe. “With so many of our students involved in these activities we take great pride in creating athletic fields that exceed their needs and expectations.”
The Roadrunners football team is already very familiar with AstroTurf as they play their home games on the same type of RootZone 3D3 field in the Alamodome. UTSA competes in Conference USA and with a total capacity of 65,000, the Alamodome is currently the second largest football stadium in the conference.
About AstroTurf®
For athletes and sport enthusiasts, AstroTurf® has redefined the way the game is played. The brand offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies. 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 AstroTurf’s website at www.astroturf.com.
FootballScoop & AstroTurf Present Annual Coach of the Year Honors
The 2018 football season has been full of great performances, amazing plays and outstanding coaching. As the season comes to close one of our favorite things to do is to announce the winners of the FootballScoop Coaches of the Year awards presented by AstroTurf. These awards are the only set of awards that recognize the most outstanding position coaches in college football.
The finalists for each award were selected off of nominations by coaches, athletic directors, and athletic director personnel. The prior winners of the award then choose the winner from the list of finalists. If asked, most of the winners will tell you that this award means much more than others because it is chosen by their peers. Now in its eleventh year, the FootballScoop Awards presented by AstroTurf has grown into a highly anticipated event within the football coaching profession. Awards are handed out to the winners at a reception during the American Football Coaches Association Convention each year.
This year’s winners include: Offensive Coordinator of the Year, Mike Locksley of the University of Alabama. Defensive Coordinator of the Year, Bob Shoop, Mississippi State University; Special Teams Coordinator of the Year, Jeff Banks, Alabama; Quarterbacks Coach of the Year, Tommy Rees, Notre Dame; Running Backs Coach of the Year, Tim Albin, Ohio University; Wide Receivers Coach of the Year, Tyron Carrier, West Virginia; Offensive Line Coach of the Year, Glen Elarbee, University of Central Florida; Defensive Line Coaches of the Year, Ron Burton & Chuck Bullough, Michigan State University; Linebackers Coach of the Year, Dave Aranda, LSU; Defensive Backs Coaches of the Year, Bryan Brown and Greg Gasparato, Appalachian State University; Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Year, Lew Caralla, University of Buffalo; Football Operations Director of the Year, Shane Elders, North Texas; FCS Coordinator of the Year, Matt Entz, North Dakota State University; DII Coordinator of the Year, Donnell Leomiti, Colorado State University-Pueblo; DIII Coordinator of the Year, Mike Fox, The College at Brockport; NAIA Coordinator of the Year, Luke Lueders, Morningside College; Director of Player Personnel, Matt Lindsey, University of South Carolina.
FootballScoop and AstroTurf are excited to partner together to present these well-deserved awards each year. “Anytime that you can acknowledge hard work, success, drive and commitment it’s a good thing”, says Gary Jones, Communications Manager for AstroTurf. “Being able to recognize those people who are so well-respected in their profession by their peers is one our favorite things we get to do each year.”
For more information about each individual award, please visit www.footballscoop.com
About FootballScoop
Created in 1999, FootballScoop.com is the premier source for coaching job information and has long been the most widely viewed website by coaches, athletic directors, strength & conditioning coaches, operations and equipment staff across America. As the leading coaching job information venue, FootballScoop.com serves our viewers’ needs by providing first hand, timely & accurate information for our audience. FootballScoop.com is the premier provider of official job postings.
About AstroTurf®
For athletes and sport enthusiasts, AstroTurf® has redefined the way the game is played. The brand offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies. 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 AstroTurf’s newly redesigned website at www.astroturf.com.
