roosevelt field mason city school district report/2013... · 2017-03-27 · we will start out may...
TRANSCRIPT
April 2013
1
The Report Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association April 2013
Roosevelt Field Mason City School District
2012 Baseball Field of the Year
2
3 A Letter from the President -Jeff Bosworth, CSFM
5 Iowa Pesticides Codes and Rules -Jeff Wendel, CGCS
6 SW Directors Report -Casey Scheidel, CSFM
7 Skin Cancer Protection -Brad Vermeer
8 Crabgrass -Lee Van Meeteren 10 Severe Weather and Lightning Safety - Brad Jakubowski
13 Spring Workshop Information 14 Professional Sports Turf Manager & Baseball Field of the Year Award -Sarah Hodgson
16 Evolution of a Sports Turf Manager -Rick House
19 Chapter Challenge 2013 Information
The Table of Contents
Publishing June 2013 Issue;Articles and Advertisements are due May 1, 2013
For more information regarding articles and advertis-ing rates contact the editor.
Sarah Hodgson, Sideline Report Editor
1605 N Ankeny Blvd Suite 210, Ankeny, IA 50023Email: [email protected]: 515-635-0306
Fax: 515-635-0307
AdvertisersBlue Grass Enterprises 2Iowa Athletic Field Construction 4CoverSports USA 4 Agrium Advanced Technologies 6River City Turf & Ornamental 7 MTI Distributing 8 Hunter 9CoverMaster 13 PACE Supply 17 T & T Sprinkler Service Inc 17 Bush Sports Turf 18 Commercial Turf & Tractor 19Floratine Central Turf Products 19
We would like to say thank you to all the companies that have placed an ad in this month’s issue of the Sideline Report. Your support for the Iowa Sports Turf Manag-ers Association is very much appreciated.
3
A Letter from the President - Grass Grows By ItselfBy Tony Senio, University of Iowa A Letter from the President Jeff Bosworth, CSFM, Drake University
Membership Committee: Jason Koester, CGCS and Jeff Bosworth, CSFM
Education Committee: Troy McQuillen, and Tim Van Loo, CSFM
Finance/Budget Committee: Tim VanLoo, CSFM and Casey Scheidel, CSFM
Nomination Committee: TJ Brewer, CSFM and Jeff Bosworth, CSFM
Executive/Long Range Planning Committee: Mike Andresen, CSFM, Jason Koester, CGCS, Joe Wagner, TJ Brewer, CSFM, Tim Van Loo, CSFM, and Jeff Bosworth, CSFM
• Strategic Plan Draft: The Executive / Long Range planning committee has put together a strategic plan draft and presented to the Board of Directors. Currently it is a draft and there will be more information disseminated as we work to finalize it.
• Finance/Budget Committee: The budget/Finance committee has been tasked with researching investment opportunities for money currently held in a money market. Also to revise our budget process and develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s).
• Membership Committee: One goal for this committee is to survey the membership to make sure you are getting value from being a member of the ISTMA.
The education committee has lined up another fantas-tic year of workshops. We will start out May 23 at the Prairie Ridge Sports Complex in Ankeny hosted by Elliott Josephson. In the summer, we will head west to the Council Bluffs Recreation Complex June 17 to be hosted by Rick House. In the fall, we will conclude our workshop schedule at Iowa State University on Septem-ber 19, hosted by Tim Van Loo, CSFM. Watch the continued on page 4....
One year ago this time we were well into spring. Looking back at my weather station records from 2012 Des Moines had an average daytime high temperature of 72 degrees the first seven days of April. I don’t an-
ticipate nor wish for the temperatures to be that warm that early but hope we are at least normal with some good old fashioned thunderstorms. Spring time for all of us is probably the busiest season of the year, espe-cially those of you with spring sports. Remember that Mother Nature will do what it wants, we can’t control the weather, so control what you can control, have a plan and a back-up.
As President of the Iowa Sports Turf Managers Asso-ciation, I want to do my best to keep the membership informed of what the Board of Directors are work-ing on. On March 5th, the Board of Directors held our spring board meeting. While it was long, I feel we accomplished a lot and got the ball rolling on many different topics. I would like to highlight a few topics discussed.
• Welcomed Casey Scheidel, CSFM as the new At-Large Director.
•New Mission Statement: ISTMA will be the recognized leader in strengthening the Sports Turf Industry and enhancing members’ competence and acknowledgement of their professionalism. Previously the ISTMA did not have a mission statement.
•Assigned Committees with their goals and assignments: Listed below are the Committee co-chairs. Please contact the committee co-chair or myself if you have any suggestions or would like to serve on any of these committees.
Awards Committee: Jason Koester, CGCS and Rick House
Newsletter Committee: TJ Brewer, CSFM and Troy McQuillen
Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association4
Sideline Report, quick notes, and the ISTMA webpage for more detailed information as the event gets closer. The education committee worked hard to secure the dates and venues well in advance so you can plan ahead to attend. The hosts of each of these workshops also work hard to ensure the day is full of great education, speakers and sponsorship. Please contact the education committee if you have an interest in showing off your venue for a workshop in the coming years.
Right now is a busy but exciting time of the year. Most people are envious of our profession when we get to be outside on these nice spring days. This is one of the reasons I am in the profession and I’m sure you are too. Enjoy and have fun with what you do as this is conta-gious, it’s hard to say what can be accomplished if your team is all having fun and enjoying what they do.
Happy Spring!!
April Presidents Message Continued....
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Sports Field Construction Sports Field Renovation Consulting and Field Design Infield Mixes Sod
Seed Top Dress Deep Tine Aeration Laser Grading Irrigation Drainage Native Soil Fields
Sand Base Fields Amend Soil Fields Base Builders Synthetic Turf Fields
Phone: 515.832.7962 Fax: 515.832.4838
April 2013 5
Application Records
Many of you are familiar with the record keeping requirements for pesticide applications. However, it is a good idea to review your record sheet to make certain that the record includes all the information required by Iowa Code:
45.26(3) Commercial applicators. Every commercial applicator shall make, or cause to have made, office records of all application activities on each pesticide applied. Records for application activities involving more than one licensed commercial applicator or billed through a licensed pesticide dealer shall be maintained by each licensee. Each set of records shall include the following:
• The name and license number of the licensee.• The name and address of the landowner or customer.• Address of the place of application of restricted use pesticide.• Date of pesticide application.• Trade name of pesticide product used.• The quantity of pesticide product used and the concentration or rate of application.• If applicable, the temperature and the direction and estimated velocity of wind at time of application to any outdoor area.• Use of “restricted use” pesticide.• Time pesticide application begins and ends. The final item is the most often omitted from the re-cord. All your records must have all of the information listed above.
Renewal
A commercial, noncommercial or public applicator shall pass an examination each third year following initial certification or may elect to attend two hours of approved continuing instructional courses each year during the renewal period.
45.22(6) Report of licensee.A. A commercial, noncommercial or public applicator
Iowa Pesticide Code & RulesJeff Wendel, CGCS, Iowa Turfgrass Institute
applying for recertification without retesting shall file a report on a form provided by the department certifying that the required continuing instructional courses have been completed.
B. The licensee shall maintain a file of the certificates of completion required under subrule 45.52(4) for each employee recertifying by attending continuing instruction courses. The file shall contain the certificates of completion for the period covering the previous certification period and current certifi- cation period for each employee receiving continuing instruction courses.
C. An employee who transfers to a new employer shall, upon request, be provided copies of the certificates of completion on file with the previous employer for filing with a new employer.
D. Files containing certificates of completion shall be open for inspection upon request by the department.
Mark Lohafer of IDALS explained that those persons who take the test after October 1st need their continu-ing education for each of the three following years to recertify without taking the test. If the expiration date on your certification is 12-31-15, you need the two hours of continuing education in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
There is complete information regarding Pesticide Code & Rules on the IDALS website at: http://www.iowaagriculture.gov/Pesticide/pesticiderules.asp
The 2012 Iowa legislature passed SF 2311, which includes changes affecting pesticide applicators. Visit http://www.iowaagriculture.gov/Pesticide/pdf/2012LegislationChangesFinal.pdf to view those changes.
As always, read the label and use pesticides safely.
Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association6
As a new member to the ISTMA Board of Directors I would like to introduce myself to those who do not know me. Here is a little bit on how I got to where I am today.
My turf degree/career from Iowa State all started the summer of freshman year of college as I took my first internship at a golf course in the Quad Cities. This hands on working experience was just the start of my career in the turf industry. Following an internship at Country Club of the Rockies, I had decided that golf courses were enough for me and decided to head in the direction of sports turf. The next summer I hoped I could win the only position as intern on the Colorado Rockies Professional Baseball Club. I did and this was my official start into the sports turf industry.
That summer I found that professional sports was the place for me. It was then time to graduate and start a full time job. I stayed with the Rockies for 3 seasons. During my time in Denver, I meet my future wife and come to find out we grew up only 20 minutes apart in NE Iowa. She is a graduate of UNI. We started to miss the little things that Iowa had to offer, including family. So the job search began. This proved to be difficult as we needed to find 2 jobs at the same time. Well we did! I took a position as Assistant Groundskeeper for the Iowa Cubs and my wife for the Dairy Association. We started our new life and new jobs March 1, 2006. Start-ing for the Iowa Cubs I soon realized that this organiza-tion and facility was run very similar to a Major League organization and I enjoyed this high level of attention.
After just one season as Assistant Groundskeeper, we started to branch out into athletic facility maintenance and became Iowa Cubs Sports Turf Management. Our young company started the facility maintenance of James Cownie Baseball Park, a new eight field baseball facility where I became the facility manager. Running this facility really allowed me to make my own decisions and grow as a manager, while falling back on the things I learned while attending ISU. After two years, the com-pany began to expand again now offering renovation and construction services. This position brings me to where I am today as Operations Manager. I oversee the
day to day operations of construction, renovations, and maintenance of all types athletic fields in central Iowa. I received my CSFM in 2012
My wife Carrie currently works for the Department of Education and we currently reside in Ankeny. We have 2 beautiful daughters Ellie-5, Emma-3 and boxer Sunny-6. Our busy home life includes functions with the kids, trips to NE to visit grandparents, and running the family farms. I also am the President of our Homeowners As-sociation and a active member of the Knights of Colum-bus. When I have free time I enjoy hunting, ice fishing, family trips and ISU events.
I’m excited for the opportunity to serve and to meet new people in the ISTMA. The success of the ISTMA depends on you. Attend our functions, meet new people, network! I look forward to sharing what I have learned and my time on this board. See you soon!
SW Director ReportCasey Scheidel, CSFM, Iowa Cubs Sports Turf Management
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© 2012 Agrium Advanced Technologies (U.S.) Inc. DIRECT SOLUTIONS and COMMITTED TO GROWTH are trademarks owned by Agrium Inc.
Introducing the one supplier who can help you cover all the bases... And all the
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[email protected]© 2012 Agrium Advanced Technologies (U.S.) Inc. DIRECT SOLUTIONS and COMMITTED TO GROWTH are trademarks owned by Agrium Inc.
Introducing the one supplier who can help you cover all the bases... And all the
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April 2013 7
from 10 AM to 4 PM, but if any of us did that, would we still have a job? We need to figure out other ways to protect ourselves, so I will list some of the things I have found.
Cover as much skin as possible, knowing they will be hotter but darker colors offer more protection. Wear a wide brim hat to protect the face, head, ears, and neck. Canvas is better than a straw hat. Sun glasses protect eyes and reduce the risk of cataracts, plus protect the soft skin around the eyes. Use sunscreen with SPF of at least 15, but higher numbers give higher protection. Apply several times.
No sunscreen protects completely, so we need to use more than that single application. Sunscreen with SPF of 15 will offer 93% protection, and 50 SPF will give 98% protection, but sweat or water will wash the protection away, so reapply several times each day. The wrap- around sun glasses will give more sun protection as well as protection from wind and dust.
The reason I am writing this is because I go to a derma-tologist twice a year, and each time he cuts and burns spots off that are either cancer or pre-cancer. He told me that the damage was done 20 years ago, but being in the sun every day will continue to do more damage un-less I abide by the protection listed above. I love work-ing on athletic fields, but there isn’t a lot of shade on those fields, and because I know you all have the same situation, I wanted to offer some advice that I never got when I was younger.
Welcome to Spring. For all of us who are ready for the baseball, softball, soccer and track seasons to start, we will begin an 8 or 9 month time of activities hampered and blessed by the weather. We will have our lockers filled with insulated coveralls as well as shorts and tank tops, and we will have days of freezing as we work, but also days where there is no place to hide from the heat. There will be clouds and rain and maybe snow with windy conditions as well as beautiful calm days, but with them all, the earth still revolves around the sun, which is with us every day in some way. I used to think that cloudy days were non-sunshine days, but accord-ing to research, the sun rays still shine through those clouds. God made the sun to give us warmth and light, as well as many other benefits, but I personally have found out that being in the sun every day from morning until night is taking its toll on my skin. I’m not going to preach at you about this, but I want to give you some facts that you can look over to see if they might have an effect on your possibility of getting skin cancer. Just so you know this is real, sources say that one American dies almost every hour of melanoma skin cancer.
Some Risk factors listed below
- A lighter natural skin color, and having blue or green eyes with blond or red hair. - Exposure to sun through work and play, and have skin that burns, freckles, and reddens easily. - If you have a history of sunburns early in life, or a family history of skin cancer. - Exposure to larger amounts of arsenic in insecticides can increase skin cancer.-People with weak immune systems and people who smoke are more likely to get skin cancer. -The risk of skin cancer goes up as we grow older, so c heck your body for unusual color or crusty spots. - Using a tanning bed before the age of 35 will significantly increase your chance of skin cancer.
One way to prevent skin cancer is to stay in the shade
Skin Cancer ProtectionBrad Vermeer, City of Sioux Center
Dan Klindt
Seed Chemicals Fertilizer Ice Melters
563-370-2515 [email protected]
Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association8
Most of us in the Sports Turf Industry usually don’t deal with this on our fields but the areas outside the fence. I am fairly new to Sports Turf but not to this wonderful weed that’s called Crabgrass. Most know it is an ugly grass when it’s in the middle a beautiful lawn, or sports field and it can quickly take over any thin or disturbed or culti-vated turf areas. So, the age old questions are how do you get rid of it, what practices do we need to do to manage crabgrass, and do we have the money to manage the areas outside the fence. How to kill crabgrass? Most use pre-emergent herbicides in the spring months to help control the new seedlings from germinating. Some things to remember when apply-ing; 1. Irrigate after applying pre-emergent herbicides because the water activates the herbicides. 2. Think about reapplying because not all seedlings germinate at the same time. Things to avoid are; dethatch or aerate after applying, and never apply on newly seeded grass or sod.
The second question is how to manage crabgrass to keep up with pre-emergent applications but also to try maintain your turf as a very dense turf to keep any other types of weeds or grass from being able to germi-nate. As far as the cost of this is completely up to you. Myself working for a city, we only really try to control crabgrass in the heavily used areas in the parks and ball fields but there are many areas we are just happy to have something growing and green. So, figure out the areas you would like to control and hopefully you can have success in control this grass!
In the months ahead, I will be trying to write on weeds or pests that we will be dealing with during that time period so if you have any suggestions please let me know!
Lee Van MeeterenCity of Sioux [email protected]
CrabgrassLee Van Meeteren, City of Sioux Center
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April 2013 9
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Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association610
Weather is a critical component of a turf manager’s daily responsibilities.
When the weather is behaving well, it makes life easier, when it doesn’t, life can become very troublesome, even dangerous.
Each year many people are killed or seriously injured by thunderstorms despite advanced warning. The following information is intended to help turf managers become more aware of the potential hazards associated with se-vere weather and to provide guidelines for making storm-related safety decisions. What about Thunderstorms?Thunderstorms are relatively small in size averaging 15 miles in diameter and last an average of 30 minutes. De-spite their small size ALL thunderstorms are dangerous. On average, the United States experiences about 100,000 thunderstorms each year and 10% are classified as severe (1-inch hail, winds of 58 mph or greater or a tornado). Thunderstorms produce many hazards; we’ll review three that can affect sports turf managers.
Flash Floods and Floods The #1 cause of deaths associated with thunderstorms. Most fatalities occur at night and most victims are people who become trapped in automobiles. Six inches of fast-moving water can knock you off your feet; a depth of two feet will cause most vehicles to float.
Know the location of your facilities, its potential for flooding and the challenges associated with vehicles coming into and leaving the facility. Bottlenecks often occur when parents are dropping off and/or picking up athletes for regular events. Consider the increased traffic congestion with everyone moving in a panicked frame of mind.
Tornadoes 3rd most deadly hazard; can occur at any time of the year and in any state. In southern states, peak tornado occurrence is March through May, while northern states are during late spring and summer. Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 and 9 p.m. but can occur at any time.
The best thing to do is to put as many walls as possible between you and the outside. A reinforced building can provide good shelter, but a basement provides a more substantial ‘wall’ for your protection.
Be sure to consider what it will take to move a large number of people into reinforced buildings in a relatively short period of time. Fortunately, lead-time warnings for tornadoes have improved and locating tornadoes is a little more predictable than our next hazard, lightning.
Severe Weather
& Lightning Safety
What you don’t know may shock you!Brad Jakubowski, Doane College
April 2013 711
LightningLightning is arguably the most dangerous severe weather hazard for sports turf managers. Lightning is the dis-charge of electrical energy built-up between positively and negatively charged areas. These discharges can move from cloud to cloud, cloud to ground or from ground to cloud.
Lightning is the second most deadly thunderstorm hazard and the least predictable. Most lightning fatalities and injuries occur in the summer months during the afternoon and evening. Lightning can strike 10 miles in advance or behind a travelling thunderstorm. Each spark of lightning can generate 100 million volts and 50,000° Fahrenheit temperatures. Lightning occurs in ALL thunderstorms.
Lightning Is a Random, Chaotic and Dangerous Fact of Nature100% of all lightning deaths in 2009 were of people caught outside. One out of five people were engaged in a sporting activity, while another one-fifth were killed seeking shelter during the thunderstorm. The National Weather Service recommends:
“When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors”
It is also important to obey the 30/30 Rule.
Go indoors if, after seeing lightning you cannot count to 30 before hearing thunder. Stay indoors for
30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder.
This is an important rule to remember because gauging the distance of lightning can be misleading. At night, lightning is easy to see and can be spotted 60 to 100 miles away. During the day it is harder to spot initially and may be less than 5 miles away.
Being Prepared for Severe WeatherBeing prepared means having a severe weather safety plan. The following outline was developed by the Na-tional Lightning Safety Institute (NLSI) and provides a framework for dealing with athletic event safety.
Once a plan is in place it is crucial that drills be con-ducted to ensure its success. Double-check that there is ample space for all people considered and that distances to the safety facilities matches warning and evacuation lead times. Proper training and clearly defined proce-dures will help ensure success whenever severe weather threatens.
continued on page 12....
Sources for severe weather safety information:
National Lightning Safety Institute (NSLI) www.lightningsafety.com
Includes: Decision Tree for Personal Lightning Safety Lightning Safety for Organized Athletic Events NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook Lightning Safety Guideline
&
NOAA: National Weather Service www.nws.noaa.gov/om/severeweather
Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association12
Severe Weather Continued....
Lightning Safety for Organized Outdoor Athletic Events
Education is the single most important means to achieve lightning safety. A lightning safety program should be implemented at every facility. The following steps are suggested:
1. A responsible person should be designated to monitor weather conditions. NOAA Weather Radio, local weather forecasts - from The Weather Channel, or local TV stations - should be observed 24 hours prior to athletic events. An inexpensive portable weather radio is recommended for obtaining timely storm data. 2. Suspension and resumption of athletic activities should be planned in advance. Understanding of SAFE shelters is essential. SAFE evacuation sites include: a. Fully enclosed metal vehicles with windows up. b. Substantial buildings with pipe-in plumbing. c. The low ground. Seek cover in clumps of bushes. 3. UNSAFE SHELTER AREAS include all outdoor metal objects like flag poles, fences and gates, high mast light poles, metal bleachers, golf cars, machinery, etc. AVOID trees. AVOID water. AVOID open fields. AVOID the high ground. AVOID dugouts (they are connected to metal objects!) 4. Lightning's distance from you is easy to calculate: if you hear thunder, it and the associated lightning are within auditory range…about 6-8 miles or less away. Ask yourself why you should NOT go to shelter immediately. Of course, different distances to shelter will determine different times to suspend activities.
A good lightning safety motto is: "If you can see it (lightning) flee it; if you can hear it (thunder), clear it."
5. If you feel your hair standing on end, and/or hear "crackling noises" - you are in lightning's electric field. If caught outside during close-in lightning, immediately remove metal objects (including base ball cap), place your feet together, duck your head, and crouch down low in baseball catcher's stance with hands on knees. 6. Wait a minimum of 30 minutes from the last observed lightning or thunder before resuming activities. 7. People who have been struck by lightning do not carry an electrical charge and are safe to handle. Apply first aid immediately (CPR) if you are qualified to do so. Get emergency help promptly
April 2013 13
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Mark Your
Calendars Today!
Spring Workshop May 23, 2013
Prairie Ridge Sports Complex
Ankeny, IA
Host: Elliot Josephson
8:00 Registration 8:30AM - 3PM Education
Lunch ProvidedInformation coming to your mailbox soon and online at
www.iowaturfgrass.org/events.htm To Register call 515-635-0306
Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association1014
ISTMA caused quite a ruckus in Mason City in January awarding Cory Jenniges with the 2013 Sports Turf Man-ager of the Year Award and Mason City School District 2013 Baseball Field of the Year Award. Cory has been hard at work with Mason City School District for 3 years. Before his ventures into Sports Turf, Cory was a Golf Course Superintendent. We asked Cory a few question to help you get to know him and Roosevelt Field better.
What do you do for the Mason City School District? We take care of all outside grounds detail. We mow/maintain 189 acres including 11 fields. During the win-ter we move snow, maintain equipment, and any other jobs that need to be done.
What type of staff do you have and what important role do they play? Right now we have one full-time employee besides my-
self and 2 part-time employees plus part-time college student. We are fortunate to have NIACC in Mason City. Everyone’s role is important. We do not have much time for wasted movement so everyone’s job plays an important part in the grand scheme of things.
What are your career goals? My career goals at this time are to do the best job I can at what I do for the Mason City Community School District. Try to bring more recognition to their great facilities. I would like to become a Certified Sports Turf Manager (CSFM). If more opportunities come from what we do here, that would be a bonus.
What does it mean for you to win Professional Sports Turf Manager of the Year? It means a lot to me professionally and personally. I am proud to earn this honor. The award is especially
And the Award Goes to......
Cory Jenniges, 2012 Sports Turf Professional of the Year Mason City School District, 2012 Baseball Field of the Year
&
April 2013 11
Bush Sports Turf
15
nice since I was selected by my colleagues. The school district has also expressed their importance to me and to them. Who was the first person you called about this award? My Mom. She deserves this as much as I do. What does it mean to you to be a part of the ISTMA? I have always liked to take part in professional organizations as much as I can. I would like to be more involved in the future. The ISTMA and the Iowa GCSA are two very important organizations in a persons professional and educational development. It is very important to me. The ISTMA and the Iowa GCSA bring respect and professionalism to our places of employment. What other hobbies do you have? I like to hunt, snowmobile, fish, and golf. I like to listen to music and enjoy live concerts. The following questions refer to Roosevelt Baseball Field 2013 ISTMA Baseball Field of the Year that is taken care of by Cory and his staff at Mason City School District.
What does it mean for Mason City School District to win Baseball Field of the Year? It means a lot. The facility is very deserving. I have heard it called “Mini Principal Park” from visiting fans. It brings respect to the facility that it deserves. The school district is very proud to receive this award. What is your advice to other Sports Turf Managers or Students? Go out and get great experience. Keep your ears open and your mouth shut and take in any advice and knowledge you can. Be prepared to work hard. Work ethic in the turf business is second to none. Get out and meet people in the business. Be prepared to start at the bottom and work your way to the top. Respect is definitely earned and not given in the turf business. Never ever think you know it all!! Most importantly take pride in what you do.
What do you love best about being a Sports Turf Manager? I love being outside! I grew up on my grandpas farm and keeping a farm boy inside is not easy. I get a lot of personal satisfaction by making things look good. Walking away at the end of each day and seeing what you did is an amazing feeling. Being around sports is a huge plus too.
Do you have any projects being planned or in the works? This year we will be enlarging one dugout to match the one we did last year. NIACC is currently in the pro-cess of adding a clubhouse under the stadium on the visitors side to match the one on the home side. We are planning on making some small aesthetic changes to the field. That will probably be all for this year. Always looking to make improvements.
What are some unique things about the Roosevelt Baseball Field? The stadium is actually a cement structure. Most high school stadiums are bleachers only. We will have two clubhouses under the stadium after this year along with two pro style dugouts. We have a fully automated irrigation system. Although I don’t know all the history behind the stadium, there is a lot to be talked about. We host not only our high school program, but also NIACC college. We typically host nearly 80 games a year.
Anything you would like to add? I would like to thank the Mason City Community School District for nominating me and our field for these awards. I would like to thank Randy Meyer for getting me the resources we need to make the field what it is and also allowing me the freedom and trust in me to use the knowledge I have. I owe Terry Halverson a huge thank you for all the knowledge he has shared with me over the years and the opportunities he has created/given to me both personally and profession-ally. I would also like to thank the ISTMA for selecting me and our school for these awards and also the Iowa GCSA for all it has provided to me over years. Thank you to all the people who help me on a day to day basis to make our facilities the best they can be.
Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association16
As I sit here looking out my office window, I’m think-ing what a beautiful day it is. I am getting the urge for everything to start for the season. I look back down at my Budget projections and add a few more numbers on the calculator until I can’t take it any longer. I stand up and go out to the shop to see what my guys are working on, and when I’m not entertained by them, I continue out to take a walk across the soccer and baseball fields. After an hour of “surveying” the fields, I return to my office and sit back down, determined to give my budget my full attention. Out of the corner of my eye I spot one of my numerous Sports Turf Maga-zines with a picture of a beautifully groomed field and the slogan “Become a Sports Turf Manager”
I sit back and think about the slogan and smile. I find my mind wandering far away from my budget and all the way back to 1988. Yes 1988. Probably before most of you reading this article were born. The setting was a High School Guidance Counselors Office in Upstate New York, and yours truly was being put threw the ringer by Mrs. Stuck, the Guidance Counselor. I had been accepted into several Colleges such as Syracuse, Cornell and Georgetown, yet the prevailing question before me was “What do you want to do with your life?” I took the question into deep consideration as I gazed out the window watching the Lacrosse team warming up and thinking “Great, Coach is going to make me run laps because I’m late for practice”. I continued to ponder as I watched my team. I was good at CAD and drafting, I loved Landscaping and all things related to it and I liked the thought of running a premier Sporting Facility that had turf that would leave people speechless. It was then that I noticed how bad our playing field looked and I turned to Mrs. Stuck and said “I want to take care of and run a Sporting Facil-ity”. She looked at me in complete bewilderment and said “You want to grow grass for a living? She asked in a dumbfounded tone. I was instantly embarrassed and said “Nah, I’ll do Landscape Design” That comment stuck with me for a long time.
When I did start College I pursued Horticulture along with my Landscape criteria. I couldn’t help but notice
that I was paying more and more attention to the col-lege’s athletic fields, quality of turf, and all surrounding green spaces. Once I got thru college I did the typical job here, job there until I landed a job with the largest retail nursery in the United States. I quickly discov-ered that I had a gift for growing plants, grasses, trees, shrubs and all things involved with them. I quickly ad-vanced up thru the ranks and was promoted up to head grower .After seven years at my dream job, it abruptly ended when the Company was sold out and liquidated.
Now it was time for a new dream, so I came up with one. I started my own Landscaping business and built greenhouse and started growing for myself. This deci-sion was another step that changed my life. During the course of running my own business I acquired mainte-nance contracts for Hospitals, commercial areas, Parks and High Schools. I was finally adding Sports Turf and athletic fields to my Business Resume and skills. I re-member the day I walked onto a completely destroyed baseball field with a grumpy old A.D who said “Can you do anything with this cow pasture? No one else has been able to” It was a challenge and it was Sports Turf and I was in for the challenge! I was finally going to be “Growing Grass” Wouldn’t Mrs. Stuck be proud of me now! I remember being there the night that the High School Baseball team stepped onto their new field for the first time. The smiles were everywhere as they looked around and marveled and touch the blue grass that was as soft and thick as a carpet and mowed and striped perfectly, and to see the parents point and go on about how beautiful the field was made myself and my crew humbled as we received applause for the work we had done. It was then that I realized how important a good field was to a team and to the community. I was hooked.
Fast forward several years. I was looking thru the Sun-day paper when I saw an ad for a Supervisor position with the City Parks Department. I read the job descrip-tion and was intrigued by the section that spelled out taking care of the City’s 84 acre Sports Complex. I read the qualifications required and lucky me, I had them all! The next day I applied and not long after I was hired
The Evolution of a Sports Turf Manager Rick House, Southwest Director
April 2013 17
the beauty of the facility. I’m proud of the fact that the last two years in a row, our facility has gotten two fields of the year awards and seven years ago people wouldn’t play here.
I get asked a lot over the years what have I learned? I jokingly tell them that I had learned the theory of evo-lution. What do I mean? Things evolve, people evolve, society evolves, and facilities evolve. We are a chang-ing society that responds and adapts to one another’s needs and wants. In 1988 I was a kid who was scoffed at because I wanted to “Grow Grass” for a living. The title of Sports Turf Manager didn’t exist. The clos-est course of study you could get to Sports Turf was Horticulture. In recent years the Sports Industry has become one of the top ten and has been argued to be one of the top five Industries in the United States. As the Industry grew, so did the Standards for quality of fields, facilities and Staff to maintain them. Suddenly quality of turf was as important as the teams winning streak. What used to be a job that was scoffed at, has continued on page 18....
by the Director of the Parks Department. As I was get-ting a tour of my new facility, I kept hearing a recurring theme. Public pride, better playing conditions, better turf, bring the facility back up out of the ashes, move the facility in a new direction and expand. I was think-ing “No problem” the problem that I didn’t realize at the time, was that my facility was under a foot of snow and the snow hid quite a few issues.
Soon the snow began to melt and the days passed and I discovered I had under taken a huge challenge that would take several years to overcome but I was com-mitted to the challenge of making improvements, reno-vations, staffing, budgeting and everything in between. My first year at the facility marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I was now committed to being the best Sports Turf Manager I could be and I would strive to have the best facility people had ever seen. The years have passed now and every year our facility has improved, my staff has improved, my knowledge and skills have improved and every day as the sun rises over my fields, my heart swells with pride as I marvel in
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Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association18
now become one of the most respected jobs in the Sports Industry. The title of Sports Turf Manager.
What is a Sports Turf Manager to me? A Sports Turf Manager to me is someone who has earned the title and has pride, skill and dedication and love for their job that is second to none. They are a teacher, a student, a politician a mentor, a highly skilled Professional with a keen attention to detail and love their jobs. The deci-sion I made to take this job seven years ago changed my life and I would never take back the decision. I have evolved into a Sports Turf Manager and there have been so many amazing things that I have been able to experience that have gone along with it that I feel blessed. I have the honor of running a facility that has been recognized on several occasions. I work with three Colleges and their students, I talk to classes, do internships with the students, get interviewed and help the kids with real life studies and help them in any way I can. I open up my facility to Groundskeeper seminars and Field Days because I want to be as involved as I can in this Industry. I have forged bonds with every Tournament Director we deal with and am involved in every special interest group the City has to help keep everyone involved and the lines of communication open. One of my greatest accomplishments was being voted in as the Southwest Director for the ISTMA. I have never met or been a part of such a great group of people as the people that make up the ISTMA Board of Directors. These people are dedicated to the or-ganization and to you the members. They are selfless, knowledgeable and dedicated and I am proud to be a part of the Organization. My other great accomplish-ments began a few years ago with a visiting student that I instantly saw great potential in. The following year he came back as an intern and after the summer was over he continued on to get his degree in Sports Turf. In the mean time I had a job open up at my Facility. I restruc-tured and tailored the job to meet this student’s degree because I wanted this kid because I knew he was the perfect fit for me and my Facility. Everything worked out and he was hired full time a year ago.
I love being a Sports Turf Manager and everything that it involves. Writing this article was a reality check for me as to how much I do love my job and what it means
to me and all of the opportunities that I have been given because of it. Whenever one of my Staff makes the statement “I hope I’m as good as you someday Boss” I tell them “You won’t be as good as me, you will be better, or I haven’t done my job”. Just like the Sports Industry, we all evolve.
As I put down my pen as I finish this article, I look back over at the slogan in the magazine on my desk and think it should read “Be proud to be a Sports Turf Manager”
The Evolution of a Sports Turf Manager Continued....
April 2013 15
19
The Agenda for the June 21 & 22nd Chapter Clash will be as follows: More Details to follow in Quicknotes and June Sideline Report
Friday, July 6Softball Game at Ankeny Sports ComplexBarbecue / Bocce Ball / Beverages to follow
Saturday, July 7Golf at Otter Creek Golf Course &Lunch
Hotels near Ankeny Sports Complex & Otter Creek Golf Course
Fairfield Inn & Suites AnkenyPhone: (515) 965-8400 215 NE Delaware Ave, Ankeny, IA 50023
Days Inn AnkenyPhone: 515-965-1995105 NE Delaware Ave, Ankeny, IA 50023
ISTMA VS.
Minnesota STMA
Call 515-635-0306 to Register. Please Register by June 7th, 2013. For more information visit www.iowaturfgrass.org/events.htm
CHAPTER CHALLENGE! June 21 & 22, 2013 Ankeny, IA
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• Specialized equipment for the turf industry •Home of BIGWOODYSAUCE.com
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Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association
ISTMA 2013 Board of Directors
Rick HouseSouthwest DirectorCouncil Bluffs Sports Complex2900 Richard Downing AveCouncil Bluffs, IA 51503402-690-0319 (work)[email protected]
Casey Scheidel, CSFM At-Large DirectorI-Cubs Sports Turf1 Line DriveDes Moines, IA 50309515-243-6111 (work)[email protected]
Troy McQuillenAt-Large DirectorKirkwood Community College6301 Kirkwood Blvd SWCedar Rapids, IA 52404319-398-5441 (work)[email protected]
Josh ShullExhibitor DirectorTurfWerks5225 NW Beaver Dr.Johnston, IA 50131515-577-5642 (work)[email protected]
Steve Bush, CSFMExhibitor DirectorBush Sports Turf6800 78th Ave.W. Milan, IL 61264309-314-1000 (work)[email protected]
Dr. Dave MinnerEx-Officio DirectorIowa State University141 Horticulture HallAmes, IA 50011515-294-0046 (work)[email protected]
Jeff WendelExecutive DirectorIowa Turfgrass Office1605 N Ankeny Blvd Suite 210Ankey, IA 50023515-635-0306(work) 515-635-0607 (fax)[email protected]
Sarah HodgsonNewsletter EditorIowa Turfgrass Office1605 N Ankeny Blvd Suite 210Ankey, IA 50023515-635-0306(work) 515-635-0607 (fax)[email protected]
Jeff Bosworth, CSFMPresident & Northwest DirectorDrake University1422 27th St. Des Moines, IA 50311515-202-8847 (work)[email protected]
TJ Brewer, CSFMVice President & Southeast DirectorBurlington Bees2712 Mt. Pleasant St.Burlington, IA 52601515-360-8979 (cell)[email protected]
Jason Koester, CGCSNortheast DirectorGrinnell College1917 6th AveGrinnell, IA 50112319-231-9254 (cell)[email protected]
Tim Van Loo, CSFMCentral DirectorISU Athletics1800 S. 4th St. Jacobson Bldg Ames, IA 50011515-509-8035 (cell)[email protected]