the report report/2014... · 2017-03-27 · commercial turf & tractor 12 floratine central turf...

March 2014

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The Report Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association March 2014

2014 Iowa Turfgrass Conference and Trade Show Review

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3 A Letter from the President -TJ Brewer, CSFM

4 IowaTurfgrassOfficeUpdate -Jeff Wendel, CGCS

5 STMACofereceRecap -Tim VanLoo, CSFM

7 IowaTurfgrassConference&TradeShowReview -Jason Koester, CGCS

9 IowaTurfgrassConference&TradeShowPictures 11 GaryPetersonScholarships 15 MaximizingtheDurabilityofAthleticFields -Grady L. Miller

The Table of Contents

Publishing April 2014 Issue;Articles and Advertisements are due March 10, 2014

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

AdvertisersAgrium Advanced Technology 2Beacon Athletics 3River City Turf & Ornamental 4 Diamond Pro 5 CoverMaster 6 PACE Supply 7 MTI Distributing 8 Commercial Turf & Tractor 12Floratine Central Turf Products 12Bush Sports Turf 18

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.

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A Letter from the President - Grass Grows By ItselfBy Tony Senio, University of Iowa convey to your employer that there is a positive return

on this investment.

I am looking forward to this year and know your board will get a lot accomplished for you. In order to get out of this organization what you want we need to hear from you. I encourage you to contact a board member if you want to participate or have any suggestions. We have several committees that work hard to make this organization run and they are always looking for help, please volunteer. Our committees and their chair-man consist of: Education – Casey Scheidel, CSFM; Membership – Steve Bush, CSFM; Newsletter – Troy McQuillen; Awards – Rick House; Nominations – TJ Brewer, CSFM; Strategic Planning – Tim VanLoo, CSFM; Finance – Jeff Bosworth, CSFM; Website – Jason Koester, CGCS. If you are interested in joining one of these in particular don’t hesitate to contact the committee chairman.

In 2015 the ITI conference is moving to a new venue, The Meadow Events and Conference Center. This is ex-citing and we want to make sure that we take advantage of the freshness. If you have any ideas or suggestions let us know. Our ITI representatives have already con-tacted me because they want to make sure next year’s event is an even bigger success, they want our input. I look forward to hearing from you, TJ

Another great conference in the books. Thanks to the ITI for hosting and organizing another impressive event. I would like to make special note of our education committee that planned the sports turf specific

education seminars, well done gentlemen!! The ISTMA membership social held in the Cubs Club at Principal Park was once again a huge success. This is a great op-portunity to interact with peers and really get to know each other. Thanks to the membership committee for making this event the success it has become. Finally I would like to thank those who donated items to our silent auction, and those who bid on items. That money provides scholarships for the students that are our fu-ture, thank you for your support!

I hope you all got to take something away from this event, I know I did. I think we were all very moved by Aaron Thomas’s keynote address, WOW is the only way I can wrap that one up. I think everyone walked out of that room with a fresh outlook on life and its many cir-cumstances. The education was amazing and I encour-age you to sit down with the person that approves that budget line to share with them what you learned and how you plan to apply it to your facility. If you pay your own way make sure you sit down with the person that has the power to approve that budget line and tell them. I feel this is very important. You want to make sure to

A Letter from the President TJ Brewer, CSFM, Burlington Bees

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Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association4

Updating Your Membership The Iowa Turfgrass Office uses an online membership solution to manage your membership. Each member has an individual record in this database. You can use your email address and password to sign in and make changes to your record. If you forget your password or change your email ad-dress, PLEASE don’t create a new sign up! To change your email, use your old email and password to sign in, then click the “My Information” tab on the left and change your email. If you forget your password, first try using the “Forgot your Password” link on the login page. If you still aren’t able to access your record, call 515-635-0306 or email to [email protected].

In most cases we can fix any issues quickly and preserve your membership history. Creating a new record loses your membership and its history. We don’t have your password, but can reset it to Password1 so you can ac-cess your individual record and setup a new password. The record you have populates the Directory, so please keep your information up to date.

Calendar of Events

May 8th: ISTMA Construction Workshop, Waukee & Various locationsHost: Casey Scheidel, CSFM May 12th: State Meeting – Carroll Municipal Golf CourseHost Superintendent: Dan Smith June 19th: Extension Fundraiser – Coldwater Golf Links, AmesHost Superintendent: Rob Lindsay July 9th: ISTMA Summer Workshop - Grinnell CollegeHost: Jason Koester, CGCS July 16th: Field Day Classic Golf Tournament – Ballard CC, HuxleyHost Superintendent: Randy Robinson

Iowa Turfgrass Office UpdateJeff Wendel, CGCS, Iowa Turfgrass Institute

July 24th: Iowa Turfgrass Field Day – Horticulture Research Station, AmesHost: Dan Strey August 4th: Iowa GCSA Superintendent Tournament – Urbandale CCHost Superintendent: Garrett Yager Sept. 16th: ISTMA Fall Workshop – City of Iowa City Kickers Soccer ComplexHost: Joe Wagner September 25th: Iowa GCSA State Meeting w/ East-ern Iowa – Thunder Hills CC, PeostaHost Superintendent: Joe Stelzer October 6th: ITI/Iowa GCSA Benefit Tournament – Glen Oaks CC, West DSMHost Superintendent: Chris Coen November 12th: IPLCA Workshop – Iowa Western Community College, Council Bluffs

December 4th: Iowa GCSA Seminar – Otter Creek GC – AnkenyHost Superintendent: Lennis Berkland January 20-22, 2015: Iowa Turfgrass Conference & Trade ShowThe Meadows Event and Conference Center - Altoona

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San Antonio, TX provided the place for this year’s Sports Turf Managers Conference. The attendance this year was the second best attended conference in its history at 1567 people. Only Phoenix 2008 was a bet-ter attended conference. Sports turf manager number increased by 2.5% from last year. These numbers are a testament to the hard work that sports turf managers around the country are doing. Our industry is grow-ing and there has never been a better time to be in the sports turf business.

The conference kicked off Tuesday with a tour on wheels, SAFE golf outing, and some in depth education opportunities. Tuesday night we had Chapter Officer Training (COTS) which is an opportunity to get with other local chapters and share information. COTS was great again this year with many new ideas on fund rais-ing and management ideas for our board to discuss. Wednesday was the keynote speaker along with many education opportunities. The opportunities to learn from Professors, Sports Turf Managers, and many oth-er industry people are just about endless. I have yet to meet anyone at the conference that hasn’t walked away from educational opportunities that haven’t learned any-thing. There is something for everyone throughout the conference that will be useful to take home and apply to your everyday jobs.

Wednesday night is always one of my favorite parts about the conference, networking. Not that there aren’t networking opportunities throughout the conference, but Wednesday night is geared specifically for those opportunities. It’s a three hour window of time to rub shoulders with the industries best, and I promise you that everyone there is friendly and easy to talk too. Thursday is more educational opportunities in the morning followed by our annual meeting at lunch. This is where the business of the STMA is discussed and the boards of directors are announced. This year we showed a PBS snap shot video that the STMA had cre-ated to air on PBS throughout the year. The STMA is making a real push to create awareness of our industry and what we do for a career. I have never been more

excited to be a part of this industry; I hope you share the same pride as I do.

Thursday is also the opening of the trade show and this year was a great success. I don’t recall a trade show with as much steel as this one. So many different tools are being created to help us achieve safe and consistent playing surfaces. As our industry gains tools, our stan-dards will continue to go up. The trade show is a great time to stay on top of the recent technology to create better fields than you already manage. Thank you to all the vendors and sales people that support our industry, we couldn’t do it without you.

Friday is the student challenge day. We had teams repre-sent Iowa from Kirkwood Community College and Continued on Page 6...

STMA Conference RecapTim VanLoo, CSFM, Iowa State University

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Iowa State University. Kirkwood represented well again this year with a second and third place finish. Iowa State finished sixth and thirteenth. Iowa schools continue to show why graduates from our turf programs are re-spected around the country. Congratulations to those students who represented and competed well.

The show always closes with the awards banquet on Friday night. Again Iowa was represented well with three Iowa State students winning SAFE scholarships: Joel Rieker, Josh Lenz, and Kevin Hansen all of whom I have had the privilege of working with the past couple of years. The Field of the Year recipients where all well-deserved and the competition to win one continues to get harder. The founders awards this year where again well-deserved and where given to some of the best in our industry.

George Toma Golden Rake Award – Matt Tobin Dick Ericson Award – Rich Watson Dr. William H Daniel Award – Dr. Brad Fresenberg The Harry C. Gill Founders Award – Willis “Bucky” Trotter If you have never been to an STMA conference, you are truly missing out on an opportunity to learn from and meet the best people in our industry. Next year it’s in Denver, CO January 13-16. Hopefully I will see you there.

STMA Conference Recap Continued....

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ISTMA held its annual business meeting on Wednesday, January 29 at 3:00 pm. The meeting was well attended and minutes will be available. Election results where TJ Brew-er, CSFM, President and Southeast Director, Brent Smith, Vendor Director. Thank you Josh Shull for your service as Vendor Director the last three years. The awards session was outstanding we had many nominations. Thank you for all the nominations! Winners are listed on the next page.

Gary Peterson Scholarship award winners:

Drew Funke, Iowa State UniversityJosh Lenz, Iowa State UniversityBrandon Bousema, Iowa State UniversityKevin Hansen, Iowa State UniversityJoel Rieker, Iowa State University

Continued on Page 8...

The 80th Annual Iowa Turfgrass Conference and Trade show was held January 28-30 in downtown Des Moines at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.

Tuesday got things kicked off with an ISTMA all day workshop sponsored by Bush Turf. The workshop included talks from Casey Scheidel, CSFM of I-Cubs Sports Turf about Field Construction, Joel Ricker an ISU student shared his experience as an intern at Red Bull Stadium, Zac Reicher, PhD, UNL presented Practi-cal Turfgrass Physiology, Jay Warnick, CSFM, Kansas City Chiefs spoke about his first season at Arrowhead Stadium and NFL field management, Erik Christiansen, EC Design, spoke on Sports Field Irrigation Design and Applications, Tim Van Loo, CSFM, ISU shared data on Physiology of Inputs vs # of Games and Luke Mudd, Truman State University shared his recent reno-vation projects.

After the workshop, ISTMA members headed down to The Cub Club at Principal park for our annual member social. We had another great turn out. Good food, net-working and watching basketball some of my favorite things all in one. Thanks to everyone who has attended this event and if you haven’t had a chance I highly encourage you to check it out next year, details will be available at a later date.

On Wednesday, January 29, the Keynote speaker was Aaron Thomas, Athletic Director and basketball coach at Aplington-Parkersburg high school. Aaron shared his family’s story of extreme hardships and how they have overcome them. Aaron’s presentation was very motiva-tional and inspiring that everyone could take something to be a better person, I would highly recommend check-ing out the Ed Thomas Family Foundation http://www.edthomasfamilyfoundation.org/.

The trade show also kicked off on Wednesday and the vendor floor was full and had good traffic thru out the day. Wednesday afternoon Lynda Wightman, Hunter Irrigation presented Efficient Sports Field Irrigation and Brian Horgan, PhD, U of MN spoke on Turfgrass Fertility.

Iowa Turfgrass Conference & Trade Show RecapJason Koester, CGCS, Grinnell College

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Zack Smith of Council Bluffs sports complex won the member incentive program and he will receive free workshop registration for 2014 and a complimentary membership for 2015. ISTMA will continue to run this promotion, so recruit new members to ISTMA and have them put your name in the referred by section on the membership application, the member with the most referrals will receive free workshop registration and a year’s membership.

The ISTMA was a proud sponsor The All Industry Re-ception held Wednesday evening at the Marriott which provided networking and food for everyone involved in the turf industry.

Thursday January 30, Bush Sports Turf sponsored a breakfast roundtable discussion which many interesting topics where discussed, followed by Seed and Seeding Equipment Exploring the Options by Tim Gioffredi, LaCrosse Forage and Turf Seed and Bryan Wood, Commercial Turf and Tractor. Continuing education for Pesticide Applicators was provided Thursday after-noon for the 2014 season.

The Silent auction again was a success raising another

Award Winner Manager CommunityField of the YearBaseball Community Field TJ Brewer, CSFM BurlingtonSoccer Cedar Valley Soccer

ComplexRandy Muller Cedar Falls

Football Central High School Kurt McCaulley DeWitt

Sports Turf Manager of the Year

Brad Vermeer Sioux Center

Golden Cleat Award Mike Poll

record amount for scholarships THANK YOU to everyone who donated items, bid, and volunteered in the booth.

If you have any suggestions for the 2015 Iowa Turf-grass Conference and Trade Show which will be held at the Meadows Event and Conference center in Altoona let the Turfgrass Office or a ISTMA representrative know.

Thank you to everyone that presented, volunteered, sponsored and attended the conference what an awe-some event that the ISTMA can be a part of!

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March 2014 9

2014 Iowa Turfgrass Conference & Trade Show Picture Review

Congratulations to Brad Vermeer!

2013 ISTMASports Turf Manager of the

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2013 Baseball Field of the Year Community Field, Burlington

2013 Football Field of the Year Central Community High School

2013 Soccer Field of the Year Cedar Valley Soccer Complex


Keynote Aaron Thomas

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March 2014 711

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2014 ISTMA Gary Peterson Scholarships

Congratulations to Brandon Bousema! Brandon is in his junior year at Iowa State University pursuing a degree in Turf-

grass Management. He plans to graduate with his Bachelor Degree in May 2015. Brandon’s interest in Turfgrass Management began when he took a summer job with the City of Sheldon. He had the opportunity to work with two baseball fields in a park that sparked an interest to continue at a professional level. Currently, he is on the Turfgrass Crew for Jack Trice Stadium. He hopes to obtain a summer internship at an NFL field in the future and after graduation would like to work as an assistant on a professional sports field.

Congratulations to Josh Lenz!Josh is currently a Senior enrolled at Iowa State University majoring in Horticul-ture with an emphasis in Turfgrass Management. .

Josh has enjoyed the Turfgrass Industry because it allows him to combine his interests of sports, design, and working outside. He is allowed to express his artistic side by striping fields and painting logos on the Turfgrass Crew at Jack Trice Stadium. Upon graduation, Josh plans to complete another internship to continue learn-ing before working full time for a major sports field or complex.

Congratulations to Drew Funke! Drew is in his Junior year at Iowa State University pursuing a degree in Turfgrass Management. He will graduate with his Bachelors Degree in May 2015. He is also working on a minor in Entrepreneurship. Drew’s interest in Turfgrass Management began in high school when his father opened a lawn care company. He worked for his dad part-time while he learned about sodding and seeding. Most important he learned about a hard days work and to strive for perfection. His long-term goals are to become a Heads Grounds Keeper for a professional sports team whether it is in football or baseball.


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2014 ISTMA Gary Peterson Scholarships

ISTMA is pleased to offer these scholarships and wishes each recipient much success as they pursue their careers. ISTMA would like to express our gratitude to the individuals and businesses who donated items towards the ISTMA Silent Auction at the Iowa Turfgrass Conference and Trade Show. All proceeds from the silent auction go towards providing scholarship opportunities to Iowa university, college and technical school students pursuing ca-reers in the Sports Turf Industry.

If you are a student interested in applying for the 2015 ISTMA Scholarships, you can find the application at http://www.iowaturfgrass.org/istmascholarship.htm

Congratulations to Joel Rieker!Joel is currently enrolled at Iowa State University majoring in Horticulture with an emphasis in Turfgrass Management and a minor in Agronomy Joel plans to graduate from Iowa State University this May.

Joel’s interest in the Turfgrass major started at the age of 15 when he started his own business mowing lawns. He soon added in his love of baseball and joined the Peoria Chiefs ground crew which lead him to Iowa State University. Last summer he completed a internship at Red Bull Stadium in New Jersey. Joel hopes to continue in the field upon graduation.

Congratulations to Kevin Hansen! Kevin is currently a Masters student at Iowa State University working towards his Masters of Agriculture. He plans to complete his degree in the Spring of 2015. Kevin has been working in the Turfgrass Industry for the past seven years and has held many different types of jobs and internships including an Internship at the Green Bay Packers and the opportunity to work on the Super Bowl XLVII Field in 2013. Kevin is currently a crew member for Jack Trice Stadium. After graduation, Kevin plans to work for a college or professional level field.

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March 2014 13

If you have not done so yet, it is very important to check out the new online Membership Database. You will gain access to: - Online Event Registration - Online Store - ISTMA Membership Renewal - Iowa Turfgrass Membership Directory - Exclusive ‘Member Only’ web pages To Log on: Go to www.iowaturfgrass.org and click on ‘Online Directory - Members of ITI Affiliates Only’ from there you will be directed to a log in page. Your Primary email is the same one you receive you Monthly Quicknotes and Electronic ‘Sideline Report’ Newsletter. Note: If you do not receive ‘Quicknotes’ or the Electronic Newsletter and you are a current member of the ISTMA please do not make a ‘Visitor Profile’. You have an existing profile but not a valid email address, contact Sarah: [email protected] or 515-635-0306. First Time Users: - Enter your primary email - The password: Password 1 (capital P and number 1) - Click ‘Go’ - Complete information on the ‘Change Password’ page - Click ‘Change’ - Hit the ‘Click Here to Continue’ button

Now you can: - Explore the Iowa Turfgrass Database - Change/ update your personal information - Click the ‘My Information’ Tab in the left column - Review your personal and organization information - Click ‘Edit Information to make changes - Enter the Association ‘Secure Pages’ - Register/ View upcoming events - View previous transactions - Visit the online store Please contact Sarah in the Iowa Turfgrass Office if you have any questions or problems. 515-635-0306 or [email protected]

Iowa Turfgrass Log-In Information

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Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association

Mark Your Calendars Now 2014 ISTMA Events

May 8th - ISTMA Spring Workshop - Waukee

July 9th - ISTMA Summer Workshop - Grinnell

July 11th & 12th - IA/MN Chapter Challenge - Minnesota

July 16th - Field Day Classic - Huxley

July 24th - Iowa Turfgrass Field Day - Ames

September 16th - ISTMA Fall Workshop - Iowa City

Please visit www.iowaturfgrass.org/events.htm for more information and events!

14

ISTMA would like to welcome our newest Board Member

Brent Smith Exhibitor Director

If you would like to be more involved with ISTMA please contact TJ Brewer, CSFM at [email protected] to be a part

of an ISTMA committee

http://www.iowaturfgrass.org/events.htm


March 2014 15

Maximizing the Durability of Athletic Fields Grady L. Miller, North Carolina State University

Field managers are asked to maintain premier turf surfaces knowing that the field will be overused and likely not make it through the playing season. Athletic fields are being used to host more and more events and tournaments. The addition of lights is a major reason for this situation. In some cases, new sports such as lacrosse are being added to fields already overburdened with soccer events. Football fields need to double as general purpose fields for special events. Of course, at some point, a field will begin showing signs ofwear. And at some point, the field can fail. Because field wear is influenced by so many variables, no definitive equation exists to predict when a field will begin showing signs of wear or when it will fail. Such a prediction would be invaluable to schools and munici-palities as they face increased legal questions and liability issues regarding injuries associated with poorly designedor constructed facilities, and/or mismanaged facilities. Field managers struggle to accommodate all participat-ing groups without damaging the fields. If fields are overused, then the likelihood of a player becoming injured due to poor field conditions increases. What is a field manager to do? Ideally, adequate numbers of fields would be available so use could be properly distributed. It is best to have specific game and practice fields dedicated only to one sport to eliminate compound wear from two or more sports. Additionally, a sound turf maintenance program promotes turf growth and recovery. Unfortunately, bud-gets for field management are often the most limitingfactor.

Good fields begin with a sound construction strategy, and careful planning is imperative for long-term success.

Ensure Adequate DrainageSeveral construction strategies can maximize field du-rability. At the top of the list is adequate drainage. Wet fields are more prone to damage than dry fields. Ad-equate drainage not only prevents rainouts; it can also prolong a field’s life. Drainage can be achieved by using surface flow off fields that are crowned or by using

subsurface drainage lines. Subsurface drainage depends on good water infiltration of the field. For this reason, a sand-based field will move the water from the field surface much more effectively than relying on surface flow alone. In addition, sand-based fields are less likely to compact. A compacted field generally has lower wa-ter infiltration rates, so the surface may remain wet for longer periods of time following a moderate rain. Select a Durable TurfgrassBermudagrass is the ideal turfgrass surface for most of North Carolina’s athletic fields. The exception may be fields in the upper elevations in the western part of the state. In upper elevations, winterkill of bermudagrass may be a significant concern. Bermudagrasses released since 2000 have increased tolerance to cold tempera-tures and may offer these areas an opportunity to use bermudagrass.

Bermudagrass forms a tight, resilient playing surfacewith high wear tolerance and fast recuperative poten-tial. These traits are most obvious in the summer andearly fall when the bermudagrass is actively growing. Ifthe turf goes dormant in late fall or winter, the above ground tissue can be easily worn off during heavy play.Maintaining reasonable fertility practices during the fall can help the turf recover through the winter and spring. Overseeding fields with perennial ryegrass is one option that gives a green playing surface to dor-mant bermudagrass fields.

Track Field Use and ConditionHow much use can a field withstand? This question isbest answered using on-site field-use data from previ-ous years. Field data collection requires some carefuldocumentation of games, practices, and other events.As the demands on fields increase, more managers arestarting to track field use. Probably the easiest data totrack is the number of hours the fields are in use dur-ing the year.

Before a field is ever used, planners, designers, andmanagers should understand its expected level of use Continued on Page 16...


games), maintenance practices, recuperative periods, and the time of year.

Restrict Field Use if NecessaryObviously, the more traffic you put on the field, thefaster the turf declines. Also, particular sports causemore severe field damage in localized areas. Footballtends to cause extreme wear between the hash marks.Soccer wears the quickest in the middle of the field, infront of the goal mouths, along the sidelines (due tolinesmen), and in the corner kick areas. Any repetitiveaction on the same area of the field accelerates wear.That is why practices and warm-up drills are often more damaging than games. But it is not just the athletes on the field who can cause wear problems. A marching band is extremely hard on a field because bands tend to march along the same lines all the time, both during a game and in practice. Cheerleaders and pep squads during games may also result in turf dam-age due to heavy use in a confined area. Some reduction in traffic damage can be avoided bydoing the following: • Restrict use when soil is very wet. • Restrict use when soil is very dry and turf is wilted. • Always have coaches rotate heavy play areas during practices. • Use portable goals when possible, and move them around the field. • If possible, move a soccer field’s sidelines during the year • If a space is large enough to accommodate field rotation (see Figure 1), periodically rotate the entire field. Continued on Page 17...

and performance. These expectations should be re-alistic. Those involved in planning and maintaining a field should consider the maintenance budget, available equipment, and labor. It is often helpful to have onefield labeled as a “championship” field and the otherfields labeled as “practice” fields. This can help every-one involved define how each field can be managedvia maintenance inputs and controlled scheduling tomaximize its condition. Often the higher quality cham-pionship fields can be used as examples to encouragethe construction of new fields that alleviate use or toincrease maintenance budgets of existing fields.

Using data from a number of fields located in the Southeast and talking with turf managers and munici-pality supervisors, I have made a few general estimatesrelative to field use and condition (Table 1). These educated predictions are for grass fields (such as fields for football, soccer, or lacrosse) that are used nearly year-round. Baseball and softball should be evaluated differently because a large percentage of each gameis played on a clay infield. The estimates assume thefield is surfaced with a quality bermudagrass and beginsthe year with good coverage. The values relate to well-constructed fields that receive at least moderate main-tenance and are used under reasonable conditions. The reality is that it takes only one extremely wet game to destroy a field. The values are based on all the events that occur on the field, including practices. Practicescan also cause appreciable damage due to their repeti-tive activity in particular areas of a field, so practicesmust also be put into the equation.

The number of events a field can handle will ultimatelydepend upon field construction, weather conditions during the season (especially just before and during

Durablity of Athletic Fields Continued....

16

M A X I M I Z I N G T H E D U R A B I L I T Y O F A T H L E T I C F I E L D S 2

the western part of the state. In upper elevations, win-terkill of bermudagrass may be a significant concern. Bermudagrasses released since 2000 have increased tol-erance to cold temperatures and may offer these areas an opportunity to use bermudagrass.

Bermudagrass forms a tight, resilient playing surface with high wear tolerance and fast recuperative poten-tial. These traits are most obvious in the summer and early fall when the bermudagrass is actively growing. If the turf goes dormant in late fall or winter, the above-ground tissue can be easily worn off during heavy play. Maintaining reasonable fertility practices during the fall can help the turf recover through the winter and spring. Overseeding fields with perennial ryegrass is one option that gives a green playing surface to dormant bermudagrass fields.

trAck fiEld usE And conditionHow much use can a field withstand? This question is best answered using on-site field-use data from previ-ous years. Field data collection requires some careful documentation of games, practices, and other events. As the demands on fields increase, more managers are starting to track field use. Probably the easiest data to track is the number of hours the fields are in use during the year.

Before a field is ever used, planners, designers, and managers should understand its expected level of use and performance. These expectations should be real-istic. Those involved in planning and maintaining a field should consider the maintenance budget, available equipment, and labor. It is often helpful to have one field labeled as a “championship” field and the other fields labeled as “practice” fields. This can help every-one involved define how each field can be managed via maintenance inputs and controlled scheduling to maximize its condition. Often the higher quality cham-pionship fields can be used as examples to encourage

the construction of new fields that alleviate use or to increase maintenance budgets of existing fields.

Using data from a number of fields located in the Southeast and talking with turf managers and munici-pality supervisors, I have made a few general estimates relative to field use and condition (Table 1). These educated predictions are for grass fields (such as fields for football, soccer, or lacrosse) that are used nearly year-round. Baseball and softball should be evaluated differently because a large percentage of each game is played on a clay infield. The estimates assume the field is surfaced with a quality bermudagrass and be-gins the year with good coverage. The values relate to well-constructed fields that receive at least moderate maintenance and are used under reasonable conditions. The reality is that it takes only one extremely wet game to destroy a field. The values are based on all the events that occur on the field, including practices. Practices can also cause appreciable damage due to their repeti-tive activity in particular areas of a field, so practices must also be put into the equation.

The number of events a field can handle will ul-timately depend upon field construction, weather conditions during the season (especially just before and during games), maintenance practices, recuperative pe-riods, and the time of year.

rEstrict fiEld usE if nEcEssAryObviously, the more traffic you put on the field, the faster the turf declines. Also, particular sports cause more severe field damage in localized areas. Football tends to cause extreme wear between the hash marks. Soccer wears the quickest in the middle of the field, in front of the goal mouths, along the sidelines (due to linesmen), and in the corner kick areas. Any repetitive action on the same area of the field accelerates wear. That is why practices and warm-up drills are often more damaging than games. But it is not just the athletes

table 1. Expected field condition based on Hours of field use per year

Expected field conditionfield use

(Hours per year)

Sustained good field conditions 200 hours or less

Good field conditions with some thinning of the turf and localized wear areas 400 to 600 hours

Fair field conditions; expect significant thinning and wear. 800 to 1,000 hours

Significant turf loss, field surface damage, increased potential for athlete injury More than 1,000 hours

March 2014 17


• On game fields, restrict the number of practices to a minimum. • Have a reduced game schedule when grass is dormant. • Have regularly scheduled rest times that are used to repair minor damages. • Do not allow unofficial play. • Use tarps (covers) on bench areas to reduce severe wear by coaches and team members, • Use tarps (covers) on sideline areas used by the cheerleaders.

In most cases, field users will need to be informed ofpotential wear problems. Most users do not understandthe damage that they can cause. Although it may be ob-vious to a field manager that a field is too wet for play,it is not obvious to most field users. Close fields whennecessary. If the field manager is not allowed to closethe field, the decision-makers should be made aware of the potential short and long-term damage that may result from field use given the situation. Unfortunately,some fields are scheduled the same as basketball courtsor hard-surface tennis courts, without consideration ofthe turf surface’s wearability. The field manager is in the best position to decide how much wear is too much.

Use Good Management PracticesField managers can use a few practices that will maxi-mize a field’s ability to handle wear. First, make every effort to begin the sporting season

with 100 percent turf coverage. At the beginning of theyear, schedule recuperative times during the season, realizing that non-overseeded bermudagrass fields will not recuperate very quickly in the late fall or winter months. Overseeding can be used to protect dormant bermudagrass if excessive wear is expected during the cooler months. But remember, the overseeding grass often can be a significant competitor with the bermu-dagrass in late spring to early summer when the ber-mudagrass is trying to grow. If premier conditions are needed during those months, then the overseed may need to be chemically removed to allow the bermudag-rass to more easily re-establish. Adjust maintenance practices to address the conditionof the fields. Increase or decrease inputs (particularly irrigation and fertilization) as dictated by environmen-tal conditions and the turf ’s growth.

Manage high wear areas differently than the rest of the field. This allows a manager to improve the entire field surface without dramatically increasing the budget. The most helpful practice along these lines is apply-ing supplemental nitrogen fertilizer to the high wear areas to promote recuperation. The bermudagrass will respond to the added fertilization and promote more rapid growth, filling in divots and rip-outs quicker. The same can be done with aerification, soil amendments, and seeding. Think of a field as many parts, rather than just one field. The goal mouths of five fields in close proxity can be core cultivated in the same amount of time as one entire field. If the field routinely has local-ized standing water after a small shower, aerify those areas and backfill with an appropriate coarser textured soil amendment (such as sand or calcined clay). Spread seed (if appropriate) in wear areas before games and practices. Some management practices that can reduce field wear may be more controversial. Advocate that less aggres-sive cleat patterns be worn by athletes. Studies have shown that cleat design can dramatically influence turf damage. In one study, a trainer shoe produced 37 per-cent less turf damage than a standard soccer cleat. A 6-stud replacement cleat was 34 percent more Continued on Page 18...

M A X I M I Z I N G T H E D U R A B I L I T Y O F A T H L E T I C F I E L D S3

on the field who can cause wear problems. A marching band is extremely hard on a field because bands tend to march along the same lines all the time, both during a game and in practice. Cheerleaders and pep squads dur-ing games may also result in turf damage due to heavy use in a confined area.

Some reduction in traffic damage can be avoided by doing the following:

• Restrictusewhensoilisverywet.• Restrictusewhensoilisverydryandturfiswilted.• Alwayshavecoachesrotateheavyplayareasduring

practices.• Useportablegoalswhenpossible,andmovethem

around the field.• Ifpossible,moveasoccerfield’ssidelinesduringthe

year• Ifaspaceislargeenoughtoaccommodatefieldrota-

tion (see Figure 1), periodically rotate the entire field. • Ongamefields,restrictthenumberofpracticestoa

minimum.• Haveareducedgameschedulewhengrassis

dormant.• Haveregularlyscheduledresttimesthatareusedto

repair minor damages.• Donotallowunofficialplay.• Usetarps(covers)onbenchareastoreducesevere

wear by coaches and team members,• Usetarps(covers)onsidelineareasusedbythe

cheerleaders.

In most cases, field users will need to be informed of potential wear problems. Most users do not understand

the damage that they can cause. Although it may be ob-vious to a field manager that a field is too wet for play, it is not obvious to most field users. Close fields when necessary. If the field manager is not allowed to close the field, the decision-makers should be made aware of the potential short and long-term damage that may result from field use given the situation. Unfortunately, some fields are scheduled the same as basketball courts or hard-surface tennis courts, without consideration of the turf surface’s wearability. The field manager is in the best position to decide how much wear is too much.

usE good MAnAgEMEnt PrActicEs Field managers can use a few practices that will maxi-mize a field’s ability to handle wear.

First, make every effort to begin the sporting season with 100 percent turf coverage. At the beginning of the year, schedule recuperative times during the season, realizing that non-overseeded bermudagrass fields will not recuperate very quickly in the late fall or winter months. Overseeding can be used to protect dormant bermudagrass if excessive wear is expected during the cooler months. But remember, the overseeding grass often can be a significant competitor with the ber-mudagrass in late spring to early summer when the bermudagrass is trying to grow. If premier conditions are needed during those months, then the overseed may need to be chemically removed to allow the ber-mudagrass to more easily re-establish.

Adjust maintenance practices to address the con-dition of the fields. Increase or decrease inputs (particularly irrigation and fertilization) as dictated by environmental conditions and the turf’s growth.

Manage high wear areas differently than the rest of the field. This allows a manager to improve the entire field surface without dramatically increas-ing the budget. The most helpful practice along these lines is applying supplemental nitrogen fertilizer to the high wear areas to promote re-cuperation. The bermudagrass will respond to the added fertilization and promote more rapid growth, filling in divots and rip-outs quicker. The same can be done with aerification, soil amend-ments, and seeding. Think of a field as many parts, rather than just one field. The goal mouths of five fields in close proximity can be core culti-vated in the same amount of time as one entire field. If the field routinely has localized stand-ing water after a small shower, aerify those areas



damaging than the standard soccer cleat. The numbers are more relative than absolute, but they illustrate the impact on turf damage from something as simple as ashoe. Shoes with a greater number of smaller cleats willcause less wear and compaction damage (more cleatsdisplace weight better) than more traditional cleat de-sign. Of course there is a trade off—reduced tractionby the user. The trainer shoe in the above-mentionedstudy required 47 percent less force to break tractionthan a standard soccer cleat. This difference may be unacceptable at certain levels of athletic competition.

To maximize field use and durability, there must be open communication among the field manager, thepeople responsible for scheduling the field, and thefield users. Once excessive wear and field overuse results in hazardous and unsafe playing conditions, the field manager must request that the field be closed. Safety of the users is paramount. With good field design, construction, management, reasonable care and maintenance, and proper use, fields can continue to provide an acceptable playing surface.

Andy EiffertBush Sports Turf

Commercial Turf & Tractor D & K Products Drake University

Floratine Central Turf Products Hunter Industries

Iowa CubsJohn Deere Landscapes

Kansas City Chiefs

Thank you to our 2014 ISTMA Silent Auction Donors

Kirkwood Community CollegeMike Andresen, CSFM

Miller & Sons Redline Sports Sand

Rick House LandscapingStandard Golf

Tim VanLoo, CSFM TurfWerks - Zach Davis

Van Diest Supply

18

www.bushturf.com

March 2014

ISTMA 2014 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]

Brent SmithExhibitor DirectorFloratine Central Turf Products2738 222nd StreetDeWitt, IA 52742563-210-1616 (work)[email protected]

Steve Bush, CSFMExhibitor DirectorBush Sports Turf6800 78th Ave.W. Milan, IL 61264309-314-1000 (work)[email protected]

Ryan AdamsEx-Officio DirectorIowa State University222 Horticulture HallAmes, IA 50011515-294-1957 (work)[email protected]

Jeff WendelExecutive DirectorIowa Turfgrass Institute 1605 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]

TJ Brewer, CSFMPresident & Southeast DirectorBurlington Bees2712 Mt. Pleasant St.Burlington, IA 52601515-360-8979 (cell)[email protected]

Tim Van Loo, CSFMVice President & Central DirectorISU Athletics1800 S. 4th St. Jacobson Bldg Ames, IA 50011515-509-8035 (cell)[email protected] Jeff BosworthNorthwest DirectorDrake University1422 27th St. Des Moines, IA 50311515-202-8847 (work)[email protected]

Jason Koester, CGCSNortheast DirectorGrinnell College1917 6th AveGrinnell, IA 50112319-231-9254 (cell)[email protected]













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