Millions are spent on high performing athletes.
Millions more are spent on stadiums to please spectators.
What standard and performance expectation do you have for your athletic field?
fLEX Standard Solutions LLC
We strive to elevate the quality of athletic experiences worldwide as the leading provider of sports field-testing solutions that optimizes field performance and enhances player safety.
What We Do
For the Sports Teams, we provide actionable player-to-turf information with:
- Simulated actual foot strikes.
- Parameters for higher surface performance.
- Factors to enhance athlete safety.
- Evaluating field conditions with minimal surface disruption.
- Collecting field trends on synthetic and grass turf.
- Optimizing field performance.
- Direct comparison between sports fields.
TEAM
Bob Vanderhoff
CEO
Bob brings 40+ years of global experience in manufacturing, wholesale distribution, home improvement industry, and consulting in roles such as CEO, COO, President, and other high level executive positions. He has worked in public, private, family-owned, PE owned companies, and startups.
email: bobvanderhoff35@ gmail.com
phone: 847. 420. 1554
John Sorochan
Founder
Distinguished Professor at the University of Tennessee – John is an expert in turf management and advises organizations regarding playing surface conditions. He serves in advisory capacities for FIFA and NFLPA, including overseeing the research for designing, installing, and managing the stadium fields and training fields for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Kyley Dickson
Founder
Research Scientist at the University of Tennessee – Kyley accomplished turf-grass researcher and focused on the science and engineering behind playing surface evaluation. He is the designer of the fLEX device and supporting systems. He also serves as the executive director at Alliance for Low Input Sustainable Turf (A-LIST).
Technology
Mimicking athlete-to-turf performance using a real shoe with accurate foot sensors.
The fLEX Device 1.0 includes accurate sensor arrays with fast and comprehensive data collection for ACTIONABLE DECISION MAKING.
Shoe – Direct bio-mechanical correlation between the turf and the athlete’s movement.
Steel Frame – Sturdy environment for reliable and repeatable data collection equipment.
Wheel – Traverse the whole field (or pitch) with consistent motion.
For example:
The heat-map image shows that one end of the soccer field (or football pitch) has low traction.
Let’s say the measurement was done a week before the big event. The sports manager can easily spot the problem areas and take action to improve the condition of the field. This keeps the sports field up to standards.
If there was a heavy rain the night before the big game and the measurement was done two hours before, then a defender positional player would know what type of spikes to put on and switch to another at half time. This enhances the player’s performance and reduces chance of injury.