Largest Indoor Soccer Facility in Canada
Towering above the giant trees of Alberta, Canada, is a newly-inflated super structure dubbed the Edmonton Soccer Dome. The newly constructed facility is now the largest indoor soccer complex in the country. The dome is over 80 feet high, encompassing 135,000 square feet, and is large enough to house two 747 aircrafts!
"You can see it from most places in the city," said Edmonton Soccer Dome general manager Antony Bent. “I’m not over it yet, it’s huge. I’m just proud. Every time I drive past it, I smile.”
The new complex also showcases Canada’s first installation of FieldTurf CORE, the world’s first super fiber. Engineered for elite level facilities, CORE is designed to deliver a more realistic, textured, grass-like shape with optimal durability and resiliency.
CORE’s performance and safety is backed by multiple independent certified sources. Labosport, a global leader in sport surface certification, tested CORE using the rigorous Fiber Performance Index — which measures durability, resilience and softness. The surface emerged with Labosport’s highest-ever Fiber Performance Index score of 89. The system was tested to 200,000 cycles on the fiber wear test by Penn State’s Center for Sports Surface Research and meets FIFA Quality Pro and World Rugby certifications. Unlike imitation blended polymer fibers, CORE backs its performance with results.
The Dome is designed for three different soccer game models. It can be configured as four seven-vs-seven soccer fields, three nine-vs-nine fields, or one full-sized 11-aside field. The state-of-the-art CORE turf system has the city's soccer community buzzing.
“Everyone who walks in and has a look is overawed by it,” said Bent. "It's the most realistic turf to play on. The bounce is like real grass. On the old-style turf, the bounce would be a little off and the rubber crumb would be awkward.”
The Dome will be accessible to a variety of groups and will not be limited to soccer. Numerous organizations have approached Bent about using the facility.
“It’s a sports dome and a community space,” Bent said. “A few community groups have reached out to us. It’s just such a big space, it’s so versatile, we can cover the turf and put on shows and concerts, really whatever you want.”
The dome also offers an opportunity for teams in other sports to train during winter months.
"This is not just a soccer dome," said Kevin Poissant, board member of the Edmonton Scottish Society, the group that owns the facility. "It's a team-sport facility. We hope to see rugby teams, lacrosse and cricket. There's so many sports that could benefit from a facility like this. We think we’re going to be perfectly positioned to support culture and sport in the Greater Edmonton region.”