Walnut Creek, Calif.—Several of Ecore’s flooring products were used to upgrade the COPA (Comprehensive Objective Performance Assessment) Soccer Training Center, located here.
The center is designed to analyze athletes from every angle to improve their cognitive, physical and technical abilities. The facility is the future home to a minor league professional soccer team in development and where many notable professional soccer athletes train.
Retrofitting a multipurpose athletic facility into a building that was constructed more than four decades ago was daunting, the company said. The design challenges were compounded by the fact that COPA required numerous types of surfaces to support a variety of sports and fitness spaces in the 110,000-square-foot facility.
With 11 different surfaces needed for specification, the group said there was only one company that could cover the entire spectrum. “We considered other flooring companies, but it would have required five or six vendors,” said Andy McDermott, COPA’s director of culture. “Having Ecore as a single-source solution allowed for a much smoother construction process.”
Finding solutions
Ecore was used for all surface installations in the training center except for polished concrete, which was preserved from the original building. The center’s Double SpeedCourt provides coaching and training on foundational running and movement techniques. This enhanced training required a surface that provided comfort for body contact points, like elbows and knees. Ecore’s PlyoTurf was chosen as it offers a durable, textured polyethylene wear layer, fusion bonded to a vulcanized composition rubber-base layer using patented Tru Technology, making it ideal for functional fitness environments.
Ecore’s TurfX was used in multiple areas of the training center including the COPA Cube. Designed by COPA Innovation Laboratories, the state-of-the-art space assesses a player’s ball control, passing ability and decision-making. TurfX was also specified in the Powergoal, Technique Studios, Mini Cube and COPA Kids’ Jungle Field.
COPA offers members 25,000 square feet of futsal courts. Typically constructed from wood, COPA said it chose to use Ecore’s more forgiving Bounce 2, which reduces force reduction by up to 60% for players’ safety and comfort. The surface was also installed in the Spin Room and retail spaces.
Ecore’s A-Turf covered the indoor turf arena. Speed & Agility Turf was installed in the weight room between the circuit and sports performance areas. The flooring includes an additional underlayment for extra cushioning to support activities such as sleds, battle ropes, medicine balls, etc.
Used for the COPA’s outdoor track, Surface America EverTop is a wet-poured, one-layer, troweled-on-site rubberized surface system. It provides a high-quality sprinting track with optimum footing and is also ideal for recreation and outdoor sports areas.
Specified in the weightlifting area and COPA Kids’ Speedzone, Ecore Monster flooring is intended for both cushioning and sound absorbing. It was installed in five lifting rack areas with five lifting inlay platforms that seamlessly sport the COPA logo on the surface.
Ecore’s Rally was used in the Speed Lab, which was designed to teach and enhance running techniques and movement skills. Also specified in the cardio area and indoor track, Rally was tailored for heavy conditioning to absorb the impact force related to aggressive functional training and provides an ergonomically advanced surface that works in concert with the body.
The COPA shower area required a slip-resistant, waterproof surface. Ecore’s Aqueous checked all the boxes with flooring that is engineered with slip-resistant particles and a raised emboss for added stability. Used in the locker rooms and whirlpool area, frictional safety flooring provides an enhanced coefficient of friction to prevent falls in traffic areas where slipping may occur.
““Rehabbing an old building involved multiple stages of construction, which meant balancing timing and orders,” McDermott explained. “Ecore did a great job coordinating and working around a crazy construction schedule to get the job done right the first time. The COPA Soccer Training Center is a ground-breaking athletic performance center designed to take athletes to the next level. The Ecore surfaces that were specified for COPA will have a significant impact on the success of the athletes who train there.”