New turf on Yellowknife indoor sports fields behaves 'more like grass,' says coach

The two turf fields at the fieldhouse in Yellowknife have been successfully resurfaced and are ready to welcome players.

For years, players had complained that the old surface on the multi-sport fields was too hard and rough, some comparing it to dish scrubbing pads.

Joe Acorn, founder of the Yellowknife Bay Soccer Club, said he's optimistic that the new surface will be a success.

"In the few hours I was there, [what I noticed] is that there's better cushioning, so the ball bounces a lot less," he said.

When CBC News spoke to Acorn he had yet to play a full game on the field, but had practised on it.

"It's more grass like in terms of how the ball rolls … you have to put a little more effort into passing the ball."

On the old surface players would "lose skin" if they fell on it, Acorn said.

"That old turf used to grab your foot, there's numerous Achilles and knee injuries in that place," he said.

But the new surface will be "better for not cutting people as much as the old one was," he added.

According to city's contracting database, Centaur Products was hired to resurface both fields for $548,055. This means the project came in under the $620,000 budget, which was set out in 2022.

Johanna Elliot with the City of Yellowknife says the installation was completed in July, but a vacuum still needs to be installed. She did not specify the cost of the vacuum but said that it will still mean the project is "well under budget."

"We're happy with the fields," she said.

Acorn said he looks forward to playing a game on the field.

"We play indoor because we have to," he said.

"I think there's going to be much less potential for injuries for the players on the new surface," he said.