h˘ ˘ˆ ˇ ˆsturf.lib.msu.edu/page/2009sep41-47.pdfrhett skinner duane smith daniel sposito john...
TRANSCRIPT
STMA’s highest honors, the fourFounders Awards, recognize thosemembers who have made significant
contributions to STMA and to the profes-sion. Think about those who have made adifference in your career and the careers ofyour peers and nominate one or more for aFounders Award. • The Dick Ericson Award is presented to
someone who is actively involved in sportsturf management, effectively leads theirteam to accomplish their goals, and whopositively impacts the sports turf industry.
• The William H. Daniel Award recognizesan individual who has made significant con-tributions to the sports turf industry throughhis or her research, teaching or extensionoutreach. • The George Toma Golden Rake Award
acknowledges the superior performance ofa sports turf manager in “on the job” activi-ties and in community service. • The Harry C. Gill Memorial Award was
established to honor an individual for theirhard work in the sports turf industry and toacknowledge their dedication to STMA.
To nominate an STMA member for aFounders Award, go to www.STMA.org, clickon the Professionalism Tab, and then onFounders Awards. The nominations are dueto STMA by October 16. The recipients ofthese awards are kept secret untilannounced at the STMA Annual AwardsBanquet held at the annual conference andexhibition. This year’s banquet will be onFriday, January 15, 2010 at the CoronadoSprings Resort and Convention Center inLake Buena Vista, FL. �
STMA in action
SportsTurf 41
Honor a peer
www.stma.org
Now is the perfect time to begin preparing yourSTMA Field of the Year Application. The deadline formaterials to be received at STMA headquarters is
October 15. Visit www.stma.org to download a PDF of theapplication. It is also available in a Word document.
STMA’s prestigious Field of the Year program is in its18th year and is getting stronger every year. With recordnumbers of applicants the past 2 years, competition is stiff!But with hard work and diligence, each and every STMAmember has a field that could become Field of the Year.STMA presents awards in baseball, softball, football, soccer,and sporting grounds categories at the Schools and Parks,College and University, and Professional levels.
Each Field of the Year Award winner is presented with aspecial plaque at the STMA Awards Banquet, held each yearat the STMA Conference and Exhibition. This year, theAwards Banquet will be the evening of Friday, Jan. 15, 2010in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. In addition to the plaque, eachSTMA Field of the Year winner will receive free conferenceregistration, up to $500 towards lodging at the conference,STMA signature apparel, and a feature article in the officialpublication of STMA, SportsTurf.
Take pride in your profession and submit your applicationfor STMA Field of the Year and get recognition for your fieldand respect from your peers. Remember the deadline formaterials to be received is October 15.
Feel free to contact Patrick Allen at STMA Headquarters,[email protected] if you have questions about the STMAField of the Year program. �
Field of the Year Awardsapplication updated,available online
STMA is introducing a new membership benefit that extends yourSTMA membership for up to 6 months at no cost, if you lose yourjob. In this economy and with the national unemployment rate at a
record high, we know that organizations are cutting back, which couldadversely affect your job security.
STMA stands behind its members and will assist any member in anycategory that loses his or her job by continuing their STMA membership,at no charge for up to 6 months. This benefit relies on the honor system;if the member becomes employed during this 6-month period, the associ-ation assumes that he/she will pay the regular membership dues. Thismembership extension allows for continued access to very important jobsearch benefits on the Members Only side of the website. You will beable to view job listings, post a résumé, access career information andactively network with peers using the on-line STMA Membership Directory.Your membership continues seamlessly, with all rights and privileges ofyour membership category.
There are very few rules. You must have been a member of STMA forat least 1 year. If you have not found employment after 6 months, STMAwill offer to you an Affiliate Membership at the $50 member rate.
STMA’s membership year is calendar based, January throughDecember. As this year draws to a close, if you are affected by a job loss,please call STMA to activate this benefit for the first 6 months of 2010.
The Membership Committee created this program and recommendedits adoption to the STMA Board of Directors, who approved it at itsSummer Board meeting. The Membership Committee members includeChairman David Pinsonneault, CSFM, CPRP, Darin Budak, CSFM, JoeCollins, CSFM, Stephen Crockett, CSFM, Alan Dungey, Dale Edmonds, TonyLeonard, Bob Marcotte, Nick McKenna, Marc Moran, David Reiss, MattTobin, and Jack Wasserbach. �
Introducing a New Benefit that Keeps on Working for You
42 SportsTurf | September 2009 www.sportsturfonline.com
STMA has added several new publica-tions to its collection of on-lineresources. New to the collection are
educational bulletins and website content.• Educational Bulletins can be found at
www.STMA.org, Members Only, TechnicalResources
• Understanding Soil Tests. Soil testresults can sometimes be confusing. STMAhas developed a basic guide to help inter-pret what your soil’s pH, nutrient require-ments, CEC and base saturation all meanon the test results.
• Strategies for Managing Heavily UsedFields. Managing a heavily used athleticfield can be a daunting task. While you maydo your best to limit the number of events,the reality is that many times your field willhost more activities than it can handleunder your normal maintenance practices.
As athletic field managers, we are facedwith maintaining quality playing conditionsregardless of intensity of use. STMA hasdeveloped a resource to help you success-fully manage heavily used fields.
• Field Management During a Drought.Managing turf during drought conditions canbe extremely frustrating for sports turf man-agers. It is important to prepare your fieldand have a management plan for droughtconditions before the weather turns dry.STMA has developed a technical bulletinthat provides management techniques youcan use to get your turf through droughtconditions.
New website content can be found atwww.STMA.org, Resources Tab, TechnicalInformation
• Professional Resources. Staying organ-ized and maintaining accurate records for all
aspects of your facility is essential for asuccessful program. John Netwal, CGCS,Director of Operations at North ScottCommunity School District, has createdextensive records to keep track of fieldmaintenance, equipment, budget, andemployees. STMA has taken these recordsand created worksheets you can adapt toyour facility to help organize daily and annu-al operations.
• Irrigation and Drainage. Irrigation anddrainage are key components to any athleticfield management program to maintain turf-grass health. STMA has added informationto the website to help you understand howyour field’s rootzone affects water availabilityand water tables. Proper irrigation amountsand frequency, and drainage solutions arealso provided. �
STMA’s Online Library is Growing
STMA’s international efforts are formalized
STMA has always had a small, butdedicated group of internationalmembers. These members have
been seeking ways to organize theirpeers in their countries to better shareinformation and advance the profes-sion of sports turf management.
A Subcommittee of the STMAChapter Relations Committee hasbeen working this spring on a modelthat will allow STMA to recognize inter-national groups. They developed anadaptation of an STMA chapter thatallows these groups to operate in thespirit of an STMA chapter, but withoutthe legal complexities of affiliating withSTMA. Their recommendation to cre-ate International Affiliate Organizationswas presented to the Board at itssummer meeting and it was approvedfor implementation. International isdefined as any country outside of theU.S. and its territories. To be recog-nized as an STMA InternationalAffiliate Organization, the group: • must be recognized as a business
entity in their country and provideproof to STMA annually; develop
bylaws or other governing documents;and elect a Board of Directors.
STMA will not charge fees for thisrecognition, will share information andresources, list the organizations onthe website, provide one membershipto the President of each group, andwill offer to these groups conferenceregistration and education and trainingresources at STMA member rates.
STMA believes that reaching out tosports turf managers in other coun-tries will strengthen the professionand provide a shared channel forlearning that will benefit sports turfmanagers worldwide.
As part of the implementationprocess, the Board has asked theMembership Committee to exploredeveloping an InternationalMembership Category.
Members of the Chapter RelationsSubcommittee include Chair AmyFouty, CSFM, Chris Brindley, DickBuelter, Mike Estlinbaum, GeraldLandby, Mark Lucas, Kevin Meredith,CSFM and Ben Polimer. �
Albuquerque Isotopes Director of Field OperationsJarad Alley has accepted a position as AssistantGroundskeeper for the Minnesota Twins. Alley, who
has been with the team since its inception in 2003, willjoin the Twins and be an instrumental part in the installa-tion of the club's new field at Target Park, which is sched-uled to open in Minneapolis next season.
Alley, who has been with the team since its incep-tion in 2003, will join the Twins and be an instrumentalpart in the installation of the club's new field at TargetPark, which is scheduled to open in Minneapolis nextseason.
Through his seven years with the ‘Topes, Alley oversawall aspects of the field's maintenance, ensuring that theplaying surface was one of the best in the Pacific CoastLeague. For his efforts, he was named PCL Sports TurfManager of the Year in each of the last two seasons andlast year was declared the best groundskeeper in Triple-ABaseball.
"We're extremely happy and proud that Jarad will getan opportunity to advance his career in Minnesota withthe Twins," said Isotopes General Manager John Traub."We're also extremely grateful for the hard work he put inthrough seven years to make sure the field at IsotopesPark was consistently pristine. His passion for his workand his attention to detail was a huge asset for ourorganization and we look forward to watching him excel inMinnesota." �
Alley joins DiVito in Minnesota
SportsTurf 43www.stma.org
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Pablo AcevedoTom AdaminiLarry AndersonEmilio AvalosBill BarkshireJim BarnesRandy BastyrPaul BattenCam BeneteauBill BennettJosh BlackmoreAllen BohrerRon ButlerJody ButtonTim CarrSteve CarlswardRob DavisRobert DexterDebra Erwin
Chad FollisKevin FountainLawrence FranckowiakNick Gammill, CSFMFelipe GarciaPaul GillenRobert Glascott, Jr.Ed HallPhil HargartenMichael HarrisMike HeacockBrent HoldenEric Holland, CSFMWesley HornerJohn HoweRoger HrubyRobert HuntTimothy JacobsTodd Jeansonne
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Thank you, Class of 1998!Congratulations to members celebrating 11 years of membership in STMA! It is with sincere appreciation that STMA acknowledgesyour support and commitment to the association.
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1 What is your company’s primary business? (check ONLY ONE)F � Sports Complex G � Athletic Field and/or Park Architect/Designer T � School, College or University P � Park
H � Other (please specify) _____________________________
2 Which of the following best describes your title? (check ONLY ONE)A � EXECUTIVE/ADMINISTRATOR — President, Owner, Partner, Director, General
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STMA Affiliated Chapters Contact Information Chapter SponsorsSports Turf Managers Association ofArizona: www.azstma.com.
Chesapeake Chapter STMA (formerlyMid-Atlantic Athletic Field ManagersOrganization – MAFMO Chapter STMA):www.ccstma.org.
Colorado Sports Turf Managers Association:www.cstma.org.
Florida #1 Chapter: 954/782-2748
Gateway Chapter Sports Turf ManagersAssociation: www.gatewaystma.org.
Georgia Sports Turf Managers Association: www.gstma.org.
The Greater L.A. Basin Chapter of theSports Turf Managers Association:www.stmalabasin.com.
Illinois Chapter STMA: 847/263-7603.
Intermountain Chapter of the Sports TurfManagers Association: www.imstma.org.
Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association: www.iowaturfgrass.org.
Keystone Athletic Field Managers Org.(KAFMO/STMA): www.kafmo.org.
Kentucky Sports Turf Managers Association: www.kystma.org.
Michigan Sports Turf Managers Association(MiSTMA): www.mistma.org.
Minnesota Chapter STMA: www.mstma.com.
MO-KAN Sports Turf Managers Association:www.mokanstma.com.
New England STMA (NESTMA): www.nestma.org.
Nebraska Sports Turf Managers Association:402/441-4425.
North Carolina Chapter of STMA:www.ncsportsturf.org.
North Florida STMA Chapter:850/580-4026.
Northern California STMA: www.norcalstma.org.
Ozarks STMA:www.ozarksstma.org.
Sports Turf Managers of New York:www.stmony.org.
Sports Field Managers Association of NewJersey: www.sfmanj.org.
Ohio Sports Turf Managers Association(OSTMA): www.ostma.org.
Oregon STMA Chapter: 503/953-9406
Pacific Northwest Sports Turf ManagersAssociation: www.pnwstma.org.
Southern California Chapter: www.socalstma.com.
South Carolina Chapter of STMA:www.scstma.org.
Texas Sports Turf Managers Association:866/897-8621.
Tennessee Valley Sports Turf ManagersAssociation (TVSTMA): www.tvstma.com.
Virginia Sports Turf Managers Association:www.vstma.org.
Wisconsin Sports Turf ManagersAssociation: www.wstma.org.
Forming Chapters:Central Florida: Contact George Lawson, 863-665-5800
Gulf Coast Chapter: 225/757-9136.
Nevada STMA Chapter: 702/884-2987.
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Ewing Irrigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ewing1.com
Game Time Athletics . . . . . . . . . . .33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.gtathletics.com
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QEach of the last few summers we have been able to closesome of our fields from mid-June until early August. Before wedid this the bermudagrass fields were never in good shape comefall. Since the fields are not used, we just mow at 3 to 4 inch-es every couple of weeks—often enough that they don’t get tooovergrown and look ragged. We put on one application of fer-tilizer (based on soil test) in mid-spring and then again at endof summer when we open them up for play. We don’t do muchelse to them while they are closed because this allows us to savemoney on labor and fertilizer. This seemed to improve thefields until this year. The worn areas have not grown over verywell after a month. Can you give us some advice? Is this a goodpractice?North Carolina
Previously, I have called this management style, thesemi-abandonment method and I have written about itpreviously in “Q&A.” To some degree, it has been used byschools for many years with mixed success. To understandthe history of this method, consider the situation thatdeveloped it.
You have a field on school property. From mid-Augustwhen school starts until the last day of classes on thespring, the school has one activity after another on theirfield(s). It is often a 9-month employee that is responsiblefor the upkeep of the field unless the school contracts withan outside maintenance group. So, when that 9-monthemployee leaves work in the spring, so does the mainte-nance on the fields. Perhaps someone will come in andmow the field occasionally but otherwise it is left on itsown. When the coach comes in to start planning fall prac-tices they look out across the field and then get a little wor-ried that the shorter freshman athletes may need a GPSdevice to find their way through the tall weeds. The semi-abandoned field now gets renewed attention.
Think this never happens? I can assure you it does. Theproblem is not that you give your field a break in use. Theproblem is taking a break with the maintenance. I think itis great if a field can be closed for use part of the year. Butthe summer is no time to abandon a bermudagrass field.This is prime season to improve the field.
You asked why leaving the field alone has worked in thepast but not this year. The bare areas are most likely due toheavy use. Heavy use not only causes above ground turfwear, but also can result in excessive soil compaction. Insome cases the compaction can be so heavy that growth ofturf may be stunted and those stolons that do grow acrossthe compacted ground may not be able to “peg down” intothe hard soil. This is why you need to aerify a field and
open up the soil for air exchange allowing roots to growdown deeper into the soil.
If there are large bare areas, the downtime can be usedfor sodding (following proper soil prep) to speed along thefield’s recovery. This is also a good time to go ahead andmake those field improvements that have been on thebackburner all year. Things like adding drainage, upgrad-ing the irrigation system, or grading problem areas thatholds water are great summer projects. With the field notbeing used there is time for turf to grow over trenches or ifsod is laid, for it to knit down and be ready for fall play.
So if labor will be limited in summer, what are theessential cultural practices? Number one has to be mow-ing. Hire someone to mow the turf at least once a week.During the summer, bermudagrass should really bemowed 2-4 times per week, but if that is not practical, atleast mow it once per week at a reasonable mowing heightusing a rotary mower. For infrequent mowing, mowdown to 2-3 inches. This will help maintain density andalso aid in weed control. If you cannot afford the requiredlabor, have a school club, team, or civic organizationadopt the field for the summer. Provide them some spe-cific instructions (on-site and written) before you turnthem loose for the summer.
Fertilizing is recommended to maintain density and topromote recovery of damaged turf. Summer is whenbermudagrass is most efficient at using applied fertilizer.Try to get at least one or two applications of nitrogen fer-tilizer down during this period of time. From one-half toone pound of nitrogen per one thousand square feet perapplication will be helpful in maintaining turf density andhealth. Use a soil test for determining the need for othernutrients or for pH adjustment and then adjust in fallwhen regular maintenance resumes.
Weed control requires a balance between tolerance andneed. Some fields are naturally weedy and will requireeither a preemergence or postemergence program to sus-tain a good turf surface. Other fields may be sustainableover summer with little to no weed control. On-site expe-rience will dictate the best approach for weed control.
And what if none of this is done? Well, being able toabandon a field for a couple of months and then whip itback into shape in a few weeks is a testament to the tough-ness and resiliency of bermudagrass. It responds veryquickly to inputs such as water and fertilizer. It is also verytolerant to a wide range of pesticides, allowing a managerto aggressively control most weeds without fear of killingthe bermudagrass. It can be done, but certainly do notexpect to win any Field of the Year awards. �
Don’t abandon me!Q&A
BY DR. GRADY MILLERProfessor, North
Carolina State University
Questions?Send them to Grady Miller at
North Carolina State University,Box 7620, Raleigh, NC 27695-
7620, or [email protected]
Or, send your question to
David Minner at Iowa State University, 106
Horticulture Hall, Ames, IA 50011 or email
46 SportsTurf | September 2009 www.sportsturfonline.com
