DE Turf to host USA Lacrosse men’s and women’s national teams on July 13

The teams’ appearance is the latest high-profile event to draw visitors to Central Delaware and boost the local economy Frederica, DE.

 DE Turf, the largest synthetic turf sports complex in the mid-Atlantic, will host the USA Lacrosse men’s and women’s national teams for practices and exhibition games on July 13 in their first-ever appearance at DE Turf.

The practices and exhibitions are open to the public and will coincide with the 2021 USA Lacrosse Youth Nationals, which will be held at DE Turf July 13 and 14. A record number of 80 girl’s lacrosse teams will participate in the Youth Nationals. The practices for the national teams are from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The men’s team exhibition is at 5 p.m.

The women’s team exhibition is at 6 p.m. The practices and exhibitions are free to attend. Parking is $10.

 USA Lacrosse didn’t need to be recruited to bring the men’s and women’s national teams to DE Turf. It was already familiar with the first-class nature of the facility from having held the Youth Nationals there in 2018.

“We knew from the beginning we wanted to bring this event to DE Turf,” said JP Fischer, senior manager, sanctioning and event services for USA Lacrosse. “It’s an amazing facility that caters to the players, coaches and families and provides a great atmosphere. Off the field, Central Delaware offers so many things to do that our players and families really enjoy coming to the area.”

The appearance by the men’s and women’s national teams is the latest example of the hundreds of amateur and youth sports events DE Turf brings to Central Delaware each year. In 2020, more than 150,000 people attended or participated in events at DE Turf, including thousands of youth athletes from across Delaware who play in games and tournaments there.

“Since DE Turf opened its doors in 2017, our facility has carved out a national reputation as the finest state-of-the-art youth sports venue in the mid-Atlantic,” said DE Turf Board Chairman Bill Strickland. “Teams come here from all around the country. Equally important, DE Turf is also spectacularly important to Delaware’s economy. Hundreds of area establishments, from restaurants and hotels, to attractions and entertainment venues, see business from the players, coaches and fans we draw.”

 The De Turf Sports Complex is an all synthetic-turf, multi-use sports complex located in Frederica, Delaware developed to drive tourism and economic development in Kent County. The complex features 12 fields, five of which have lights, a championship stadium with bleacher seating, on-site concessions, restrooms and public Wi-Fi. As a regular host of regional and national tournaments, DE TURF has proven to attract tourists to Kent County while providing a first-class venue for local, recreational use including leagues, camps and clinics.