As strength and conditioning coaches take a more active role in evaluating playing surfaces, TenCate is bringing its Pivot® Performance Turf to the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association National Conference in Fort Worth, Texas next week.
Athletic programs are placing greater emphasis on surface consistency, focusing on its impact on athletes’ training, performance and availability over the course of a season.
Athletic programs are placing greater emphasis on surface consistency, focusing on its impact on athletes’ training, performance and availability over the course of a season.
“Strength and conditioning coaches are more involved in these decisions than they were a few years ago,” said Joe Fields, CEO of TenCate Americas. “Facilities teams and performance staff are working more closely together, combining their perspectives. What that really comes down to is whether the surface performs the same way day in and day out.”
The CSCCa conference will take place May 4–6 at the Fort Worth Convention Center. TenCate will be exhibiting at Booths 228 and 230, where attendees can step onto Pivot and experience it firsthand.
TenCate is also supporting key conference programming, providing a 50-foot by 60-foot Pivot demo area for a Learning Lab session and the Master Strength and Conditioning Coaches’ (MSCC) Practical Exam Review Breakfast. The sessions will give coaches a chance to experience how the surface feels and performs.
At the TenCate booths, coaches will be able to lace up and test the surface in cleats, working through acceleration, deceleration and change-of-direction patterns they use in training. That experience will give them a direct read on how Pivot responds, how it behaves through repeated efforts, and how it delivers the consistency they rely on.
“It’s not a full field, but coaches don’t need that to understand how similar this turf performs to natural grass,” said Colin Young, Global Director of Research & Development at TenCate. “Once they’re in cleats and moving, even in a small space, they can start to feel how the surface responds and whether it’s consistent from step to step. That initial feel goes a long way.”
The appearance marks TenCate’s first at a strength and conditioning conference as part of a broader rollout of Pivot, a high-performance turf system engineered to replicate the feel and performance of natural grass without the drawbacks of traditional synthetic turf.
Surface selection has traditionally been led by facilities and operations teams, with an emphasis on durability, maintenance and long-term field performance. That foundation remains critical, but programs are now looking more closely at how surfaces affect play and support athlete safety.
The appearance marks TenCate’s first at a strength and conditioning conference as part of a broader rollout of Pivot, a high-performance turf system engineered to replicate the feel and performance of natural grass without the drawbacks of traditional synthetic turf.
Surface selection has traditionally been led by facilities and operations teams, with an emphasis on durability, maintenance and long-term field performance. That foundation remains critical, but programs are now looking more closely at how surfaces affect play and support athlete safety.
“Everyone wants to know what they’re getting on every rep,” said Colin Young, Global Director of Research & Development at TenCate. “If the surface is predictable, with the right balance of grip and give, it helps them manage workload, control fatigue and keep performance consistent over time.”
That focus is driving greater involvement from strength and conditioning coaches in evaluating playing surfaces, as they look to keep athletes available and performing across a full roster over the whole season.
“They’re not just looking at specs,” Young said. “They want to understand how the surface fits into what they’re trying to do with their athletes day to day.”
Developed by TenCate’s Center for Turf Innovation, Pivot is a high-performance turf system engineered without performance infill. Its fiber-based construction is designed to mirror natural grass, providing consistent traction and a predictable surface that supports speed, acceleration and cutting, while holding up under repeated use in varying conditions.
“To me, we have just forced our guys to be more efficient movers,” said Mitch Hauschildt, Prevention, Rehabilitation and Physical Performance Coordinator at Missouri State University, which features Pivot turf at its football stadium. “Pivot is forcing our guys to play within their frame and teaching them to actually do the stuff we’ve always wanted them to do.”
Designed for 24/7/365 play, Pivot is backed by a 12-year outdoor and 15-year indoor system warranty, supporting consistent performance under sustained load and varying conditions.
“Our guys, now that they’ve played on it for a long time, have really come to like the surface,” Hauschildt said. “I hear grumbling when we go to other stadiums.”
Designed for 24/7/365 play, Pivot is backed by a 12-year outdoor and 15-year indoor system warranty, supporting consistent performance under sustained load and varying conditions.
“Our guys, now that they’ve played on it for a long time, have really come to like the surface,” Hauschildt said. “I hear grumbling when we go to other stadiums.”
For TenCate, those early impressions are important, but what matters most is how the surface performs over time as athletes continue to train and compete on it.
“When coaches start to see the same response from rep to rep, that’s when the conversation changes,” Fields said. “It becomes less about the surface itself and more about what it allows them to do with their athletes over the course of a season.”
About TenCate: TenCate is the world’s leading manufacturer, distributor and installer of synthetic turf systems for sports and landscape applications. Headquartered in Dalton, Georgia, with operations in the U.S., Netherlands, U.K. and U.A.E., the company serves customers in more than 40 countries with a suite of trusted brands and products. They include the new Pivot® Performance Turf, designed to deliver grasslike performance without performance infill. Learn more at www.tencategrass.us and www.pivot-turf.com.
