VERO BEACH, Fla., Nov. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The football stadium at Vero Beach High School, known as the Citrus Bowl, is sporting a new look after Hellas installed a Matrix Helix^® synthetic turf system on campus. The field at the Citrus Bowl is named after former head coach Billy Livings, who led the Vero Beach High School Indians to 211 victories and 20 playoff appearances. In addition to the football field, phase one of the school's athletic updates included 6 beach volleyball courts installed by Hellas. New construction and upgrades in phase two include a new track system and Z600 LED Sport lighting.

Leading to Vero Beach's adoption of a synthetic turf system, the Indians were often faced with sloppy field conditions due to poor drainage and regular rainfall on Florida's coast. To aid in drainage while also providing shock absorption for athletes, Hellas installed a Wave Sports Pad that facilitates superior vertical and horizontal drainage. In addition to rain, the Florida coast is also no stranger to extreme heat. To help keep the field comfortable and safe for athletes, Hellas installed Ecotherm^® infill, which is known to keep field temperatures about 30° cooler than traditional infill products.

Vero Beach High School has the first synthetic turf field installation along the Treasure Coast of Florida, which stretches from Palm Beach County through the Space Coast in Brevard County. After one season on the new field, the Indians football team reports they've had fewer injuries than in previous seasons, losing only once at home.

"Our players are thoroughly impressed and excited," says Vero Beach High School Athletic Director Lenny Jankowski. "This has been a phenomenal surface to play on," adds Jankowski who is in his 13^th season as Head Football Coach of the Indians. "We could not be more pleased with the performance of our Hellas field."  

Success was not limited to the football field for the Indians in 2023, the beach volleyball team at Vero Beach High School also reached the state final thanks in part to the six sand beach volleyball courts installed by Hellas near campus. With beach volleyball becoming a regulated FSHAA sport in Florida for the first time, Jankowski was excited about the timing of this Hellas install.

The next phase of upgrades at Vero Beach High School will include a Q3000 EpiQ Track® System installed by Hellas around a soccer field with a new line of Z600 LED lights by Hellas and is expected to be complete by early 2024.

About Hellas - Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Hellas is America's largest sports contractor 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 sports lighting projects. In addition to hundreds of K-12 and collegiate sports construction projects, Hellas has built NFL practice and playing fields for the Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, and Washington Commanders. 

About Jacksonville Jaguars – Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, the Jaguars began play in 1995 as a professional football team in the National Football League (NFL). Aligned in the South Division of the American Football Conference (AFC), the club plays its home games at TIAA Bank Field and practices at the Miller Electric Center. For more information, visit Jaguars.com

About Miami Dolphins - Headquartered in Miami Gardens, Florida, the Dolphins were founded in 1966 as the ninth expansion team of the American Football League (AFL). Miami joined the NFL in 1970 as a professional football team in the National Football League (NFL). Aligned in the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) with a home field at Hard Rock Stadium and an indoor facility Baptist Health Training Complex in Miami Gardens.

SOURCE Hellas