Special Olympics Michigan is Building Tomorrow's Champions
Leading solutions from FieldTurf and Beynon Sports are helping change the game for over 20,0000 athletes at the new state-of-the-art facility
Key Takeaways: Special Olympics Michigan & FieldTurf
- The new Special Olympics Michigan Unified Sports & Inclusion Center is the world’s largest Special Olympics facility, serving 20,000+ athletes and featuring a FieldTurf surface and Beynon track.
- The upgraded field transformed an old clay and uneven football site into a safe, high-performance venue designed for athletes with disabilities.
- FieldTurf provided training, maintenance support and continuous service to the facility’s staff, reinforcing its commitment to customer experience and product longevity.
- The project aligns with FieldTurf’s broader mission to support inclusion, community access and multi-sport performance through advanced athletic surfaces.
- This installation highlights how FieldTurf surfaces can serve diverse populations and cutting-edge facilities beyond traditional sports programs.
Since opening last year, the Special Olympics Michigan Unified Sports & Inclusion Center, the world's largest Special Olympics facility, has been a game-changing resource for an estimated 20,000 athletes from across the state. A highlight of the outdoor complex is its multi-purpose center field, which features FieldTurf artificial turf and a Beynon Sports track system, two leading surface solutions from Tarkett Sports.
Making the field even more special is the massive Special Olympics logo at its center. The playing surface is the only one in the country to feature the design.
According to Drew Nelson, Facilities Manager at Special Olympics Michigan, FieldTurf’s artificial turf was essential to creating a playing field that delivers world-class safety and performance:
“Before we worked with FieldTurf, this was just an old football field that was all clay. It was mostly wet. There was really no good place for our athletes to practice.
“The old football field that was here was not safe for our athletes. It was all bumpy, and there were dips and valleys, and just to be somewhere that I know that people aren't going to turn an ankle because of something that I could have prevented makes all the difference.”
For over 50 years, Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) has sought to create a community of inclusion where every person is accepted and welcomed, regardless of ability or disability. The Unified Sports & Inclusion Center exemplifies that commitment, providing athletes from around Michigan with access to a state-of-the-art facility that emphasizes inclusion, community, and respect.
The project also provided Tarkett Sports with an opportunity to build invaluable relationships with the team at SOMI, delivering next-level customer service through maintenance training and consistent communication.
“I had no previous experience maintaining a turf field, and they [FieldTurf] came out and taught me how to do maintenance,” said Nelson. “Not only is their product amazing, but their customer service has been stellar. They really took the time to train me. They always pick up the phone when I call. I've become friends with some of the reps.”
The center supports year-round sports training for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. This increased access to sports empowers SOMI to place a greater focus on developing athletes both on and off the field. It also aligns with Tarkett Sports’ vision of having more people benefit from cutting-edge community resources that promote a healthy, active lifestyle.