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Salida, CO (November 29, 2023) –
The Salida High School Spartans wrapped up their fall sports seasons this week—the first played on a newly installed Matrix Helix turf field by Hellas designed to provide athletes with a safe and consistent playing field that feels similar to natural grass.
“This year we noticed that the safety and performance of our kids improved,” said Salida School District Athletic Director Marko Hahn. “We had a reduction of injuries and concussions with our athletes since Hellas installed a new Matrix Helix turf multipurpose field.”
Across the nation, districts like Salida School District are choosing Hellas’ Matrix Helix turf as a safe option for athletes due to its monofilament fibers with Shape Memory Technology that allows the turf to spring back into place after impact and hold infill in place. To athletes, this means the surface plays consistently across the field with stable footing, traction, and optimal cleat release—all of which work to decrease injuries. Underneath the surface of the Spartan’s field is a Soteria Max shock pad, engineered to improve shock absorption and field drainage, while providing cooler field temperatures.
Heidi Slaymaker, Head Coach of the Spartan girls’ soccer team, shared her excitement over the new Hellas field stating, "This Hellas turf was much easier on our players’ bodies and made a noticeable difference allowing us to play more aggressively with fewer injuries. The ball roll was phenomenal as well.”
The Salida High School football coach, Matt Luttrell, echoed Slaymaker’s sentiment of enhanced performance on the new turf. "Our athletes loved playing on the new turf which was great this season," he remarked. “Our coaches liked the speed,” Luttrell added. “Other teams also complimented us on how well the turf turned out.” Salida High School’s new multipurpose field is used by the boys' football team and the girls’ and boys' soccer teams.
In addition to the new field at Salida High School, Hellas also installed a pair of post-tension tennis courts with a TPS Court Surfacing™ system that allows for superior play on the court. The Salida girls’ tennis team won the division championships in the spring of 2023 and is looking forward to a new season in 2024 on the courts. For more information you can view the video link. youtu.be/mNWco-QRKlw
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About Hellas - Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Hellas is the largest sports contractor in North America specializing in the manufacturing, construction, and installation of sports surfaces and amenities. Hellas manufactures its own products, as well as owns and operates its own heavy construction equipment, making the company a true one-stop shop for turf, tracks, courts, and sport lighting projects. In addition to hundreds of K-12 and collegiate sports projects, Hellas has built NFL practice and playing fields for the Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, Washington Commanders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, and Green Bay Packers. For more information visit www.hellas.com
About Salida High School – Located in the Salida School District in Salida, CO, Salida High School’s mission is to provide a challenging and supportive environment that educates and empowers all students to think critically and reach their full potential through appropriate expectations and consistent modeling. For more information visit salidahigh.com
About Salida School District – The Salida School District in Salida, CO is made up of five schools, Salida High School, Horizons Exploratory Academy, Salida Middle School, Crest Academy, Longfellow Elementary School, and the Salida Early Childhood Center. For more information about Salida School District visit salida.ss13.sharpschool.com