TenCate features new Pivot Performance Turf at the CSCCa National Conference

Photo: TenCate

With strength and conditioning coaches take a more active role in evaluating playing surfaces, TenCate brought its Pivot Performance Turf to the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association National Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, early this month. 
 
According to the company, 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 with minimal maintenance, and can the surface make a positive impact on overall player availability.” 

The CSCCa conference took place from May 4-6 at the Fort Worth Convention Center. TenCate allowed attendees to step onto Pivot and experience it firsthand.

“Pivot really does play more like grass than any other turf,” said Mitch Hauschildt, prevention, rehabilitation and physical performance coordinator at Missouri State University, which features Pivot turf at its football stadium. “There is no rubber, no sand and no cork.” 

TenCate also supporting key conference programming, providing a 50-by-60-foot Pivot demo area for a Learning Lab session and the Master Strength and Conditioning Coaches’ (MSCC) Practical Exam Review Breakfast, which gave coaches a chance to experience how the surface feels and performs.   

“What we have really noticed with Pivot is that our athletes have lower rates of lower extremity injuries,” said Hauschildt. “To me, we have just forced our guys to be more efficient movers.  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.”

At the TenCate booths, coaches were also able to lace up and test the surface in cleats, working through acceleration, deceleration and change-of-direction patterns they use in training, giving them a direct read on how Pivot responds and behaves through repeated efforts.

“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, Ph.D., global director of research and 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. 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, according to TenCate.

“Everyone wants to know what they’re getting on every rep,” said Young. “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.” 

TenCate stated 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, according to the company.

Pivot is backed by a 12-year outdoor and 15-year indoor system warranty.