BURLINGTON, N.C. (WGHP) — Burlington is hoping to expand its sports tourism with newly installed synthetic fields  

For almost five years, the soccer community in Burlington has asked for synthetic turf so they can play year-round with no delays or tournament cancelations. 

“This is the time we’re making some people really happy,” said the City of Burlington’s Spokesperson John Vernon. 

Springwood Park in Burlington has a new set of lines with three new synthetic turf fields. it’s perfect for more than 800 recreational soccer players, private soccer leagues and school tournaments. 

“It just makes me really proud that our community is doing big things from such a small spot on the map to make things better and more upgraded for our kids,” said soccer parent Ann Johnson. 

It cost the city around $3.5 million to make it happen. 

This turf replaced the existing natural grass fields, which limited playing time and delayed tournaments.

“We ran into so many times where we … couldn’t play because of rain or wet fields … As we’ve got into the club and the travel world, realize how imperative it is to be able to host tournaments and not being a conducive facility,” Johnson said.

With this new turf, players can compete with no delays. 

“We’re hoping that’s going to attract a lot of regional soccer tournaments … Having the reliable playability of these fields is appealing for those for those tournaments,” Vernon said.

With more tournaments, Burlington could be a new soccer destination. 

“I think that it is really important to just be able to keep our community here,” Johnson said. “Keep our community invested in Burlington athletics as opposed to going to other cities to seek those opportunities.”

You can start seeing other types of tournaments. 

The turf lines are not just for soccer. They can also be used for lacrosse tournaments.