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sportsT"fPROGRAM

~~Managers Association

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THESPORTS TURF MANAGERS ASSOCIATION

STMA OFFICERSPRESIDENT MIKE SCHILLERPAST PRESIDENT GREG PETRYPRESIDENT-ELECT STEPHEN GUISECOMMERCIAL VICE PRESIDENT HENRY INDYK, PH.D.SECRETARY EUGENE MAYERTREASURER RICH MOFFITTSTMA BOARD MEMBERS L. MURRAY COOK,BUCKY TROTTER, MARY OWEN, BOB PATT, BOB CURRYEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR STEVE TRUSTYSTMAOFFICE1375 ROLLING HILLS LOOP, COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA51503

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sportsTURF (ISSN 1061-687X) is published monthly by Adams/GreenIndustry Publishing, Inc. 68-860 Perez Rd., Ste. J, Cathedral City, CA92234. Material in this publication may not be reproduced or photocopiedin any form without the written permission of the publisher.

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VOLUME THIRTEEN, NUMBER SIX .... JUNE 1997

MAIN EVENTS70 Drikakis WinsSTMA's Softball Field of the Year

A consistent, safe, highly playable surface isthe rule, not theexception, at Jim Drikakis Field,'STMA's 1996-1997Softball Field ofthe Year shines as a successful balancing act between heavyuse and a good maintenance program.

74 Disney Constructs a Wide World of SportsImagine a theme park for athletes and sports addicts - a liveversion of ESPNwhere the action surrounds you. The Walt DisneyCompany did and recently opened a unique nine-venue, year-round competition and training complex with state-of-the-artfacilities that cater to more than 30 sports.

78 Giants Stadium Testsa New Field-on-WheelsFor a soccer game recently, Giants Stadium temporarily buriedits AstroTurf beneath mobile squares of turfgrass. It's part of anexperiment that, if successful, will add a new dimension tosports-field management,

LINE-UP5 STMAin Action6 Front Office6 Calendar9 STMAMessage73 Tip0' the Month

23 Rookies

23 Product Showcase27 Applicator's Log29 Classifieds29 Ad Index30 Front Lines

On the Cover:Workers, installing "Grass Squares," convert Giants Stadium's

field from artificial to natural turf, Photo by Chris Scott,

4 sporfsTURF· http://www.sporsturfonline.com

\

STMA in Action

STMA Chapter NewsMidwest Chapter: The Midwest Chapter of STMA

will meet on June 12 at Demaree Stadium of MerrillvilleHigh School, Merrillville, Indiana, STMA's 1994 FootballField of the Year. Activities will include a tour of thefacility and sessions on field construction and mainte-nance.

August 12 marks the chapter's Seminar on Wheelstour. Plan now to join this behind-the-scenes tour of theathletic fields of Northwestern University, Wrigley Field,Soldier Field and the University of Illinois - Chicagocampus.

Because of injuries sustained in a serious accidentthis past fall, Midwest Chapter President Lonnie Bergfelt that she couldn't devote the necessary time to theassociation and has resigned her position. Stepping up tothe president's position for the remainder of Lonnie'sterm is Scott Pippen, Village of Lincolnshire. JohnAnderson, Cannon Turf Supply Inc., has been asked tofill the vice president position. The rest of the boardremains the same with Marc Van Landuyt, Van'sEnterprises, as past president; Donald Michaels,Conserv FS, as treasurer; and Mike Trigg, WaukeganPark District as secretary.

For more information, call The Chapter Hotline (847)439-4727.

Colorado Chapter: The Colorado Chapter of STMAwill hold its next meeting on Friday, June 13, at Sky SoxStadium. The meeting will open with Dave Rulli'sPresident's Message and an introduction by MarkLeasure. Activities will include vendor talks, a session oninfield mix presented by Ken Norkosky and a tour of thestadium. Attendees will also enjoy a cook-out and theSky Sox baseball game.

The Mid-Summer Workshop is scheduled for July 18thfrom 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Wagner Park in Aspen, Colorado,the home of the World Rugby Tournament. Topics willinclude field renovation and irrigation.

The chapter's Second Annual Lawn Mower Man Opengolf outing is scheduled for August 5 at West Wood GolfCourse in Arvada, Colorado.

Due to snow in April, the Spring Vendor Expo wascanceled. This event has been tentatively rescheduled forSeptember 18 at Jeffco Stadium. Look for more details onthis in August.

For more information, call the 24-Hour CSTMAChapter Hotline/FAX: (303) 438-9645.

KAFMO: Keystone Athletic Field ManagersOrganization (KAFMO Chapter STMA) is now in theplanning stages for its fall field day. Details will beannounced soon.

For more information, contact Dan Douglas, ReadingPhillies Baseball Club, at (610) 375-8469, extension 212.

Minnesota Chapter: The Minnesota Chapter will

hold its 3rd Annual Seminar on Wheels July 16.Participants will gather at Midway Stadium, then boarda bus for McMurray Fields, where vendors will showtheir aeration equipment in action in a mini-aerationclinic. Next, the group will take the bus for tours of theCity of Plymouth Athletic Facility; Goodrich Field,Anoka, Minnesota, where a high sand-based field isbeing constructed; Blaine Sports Center, site of USA CupSoccer; the Turfco factory; Bethel College; UrbanVentures; and the Rice and Arlington Sports Dome. Theworkshop will wrap up with a tail-gate party at MidwayStadium and a St. Paul Saints game.

For information, contact Connie Rudolph at (612) 644-0639.

Iowa STMA: The Iowa Sports Turf ManagersAssociation will hold a Baseball Workshop from 1:30 to 4

continued on page 13

TURF INSTALLATIONS

INSTALLEDCLEVELAND INDIANS STRIPPEDJACOBS FIELDIN 42" AND 48" ROLLS CLEVELANDINDIANS

Who do the professionals call when they need afield repaired or a new installation? More often thannot CYGNET TURF. Our customer list reads like a"WHO's WHO" of the sports industry. For fewer,tighter seams, stability and performance, when youare ready to install give CYGNET a call. You canuse our quality sand-based sportsturf (bluegrass orbermuda) or yours.

TUItF:. Equipment

Phone: (419) 354-1112Farm: (419) 655-2020Fax: (419) 352-1244

Call 1(800) 817-1889 use Fast Fax #1040697 and/orCircle 104 on Postage Free Card

June 1997 5

THE FRONT OFFICE..OPINION PAGE

Stadium of the Near Future?

When the idea for grass squares originatedseven years ago, several factors had pro-voked a brainstorming session among mem-

bers of the Greenway Group (pictured on page 19):1. the increasing interest being expressed by athletes

for a natural-turf playing surface, particularly at theprofessional level;

2. the economic necessity for the multi-purpose use ofstadiums, including many activities that did not require a natural-turf surface;

3. the World Cup Soccer standards requiring a natural-turf playing sur-face (certain venues under consideration utilized a synthetic surface forathletic activities).

From the brainstorming session came a set of criteria required to con-vert a synthetic surface to a natural-turf surface: (1) rapid conversion, (2)instant playability, (3) instant restoration. To meet those criteria, Dr.Henry Indyk proposed a transportable modular system. This led to thedevelopment of the original one-foot-square model, followed by improve-ments that evolved into the present system.

The present system, however, is only one step in a grander scheme.When Indyk proposed the idea of grass squares, he envisioned their usewithin a "Stadium of the Future." Pursuing the concept, GreenTech hasdeveloped a proprietary prototype design for such a venue where a field ismoved directly into a stadium on a platform - truly a field-on-wheels. Ifthe present experiment at Giants Stadium succeeds, the Stadium of theFuture may be right around the corner.Turf Training for the Future

In other areas, Disney's Wide World of Sports heralds things to come. Asa "theme park" for athletes, it is the first of its kind and will likely spawnothers down the road, at the same time providing a professional boost to thesports turf industry.

Among other present and future activities, the 110 acres of sports fieldswill supply a training ground for young and old sports-turf managers tobroaden their skills in sports they may not have experience in handling.The complex has established a new Department of Sporticulture, which isbeginning to organize a Central Florida Chapter for the STMA. Also, dis-cussions have taken place about STMA's proposed Certified Sports TurfManager Program using the complex for its yearly training grounds - aprogram Major and Minor League Baseball Associations along with otherprofessional sports are planning to endorse.

As things shape up now, the complex will likely become not only a pre-mier sports destination in the world, but a premier sports turf destinationas well. Under the guidance of Murray Cook, sports TURFs Man of the Yearin 1991, and his staff, the complex may be blazing trails for both the sportsand the sports-turf industries to follow into the millennium.Correction

In the April 1997 sports TURF, on page 9 under the heading"Maintenance," the products of the following manufacturers should beincluded in the list of additives for drying turfed and skinned areas after arain: Diamond Pro, Partac/Beam Clay, and Turface/Aimcor.

6 sporfsTURF· http://www.sporsturfonline.com

EVENTS..CALENDAR

June25 Pesticide Applicators

Professional Association's(PAPA's) Pesticide Applicators Seminar.Ventura, California. Contact: PAPA.Phone: (408) 442-3536.

July17- Turfgrass Producers

International SummerConvention and Field Days.Minneapolis, Minnesota. Contact: TomFord. Phone: (847) 705-9898. Fax:(847) 705-8347.

23 PAPA Pesticide ApplicatorsSeminar. San Jose,

California. Contact: PAPA. Phone:(408) 442-3536.

26-28 International L~wn, Gardenand Power Equipment Expo

1997. Louisville, Kentucky. Contact:Sellers Expositions. Phone: (800-) 558-8767 or (502) 562-1962.

29 Midwest Regional TurfFoundation's Turf Field

Day. West Lafayette, Indiana. Contact:Bev Bratton. Phone: (765) 494-8039 or(317) 494-8039.

August5 August 5 PAPA Pesticide

Applicators Seminar. Fresno,California. Contact: PAPA. Phone: (408)442-3536.

Golf Course Seminar atSUNY- Delhi. Delhi, New

York. Contact: Dominic Morales at(607) 746-4413; or NYSTA at (800) 873-8873, (518) 783-1229.

5

PAPA Hands-On PesticideApplicators Seminar.

Ventura, California. Contact: PAPA.Phone: (408) 442-3536.

6

Send announcements of your eventstwo months in advance to: Editor,sportsTURF, 68-860 Perez Road,

Suite J, Cathedral City, CA 92234.Fax: (619) 770-8019.

STMA MESSAGENetworking Pays Dividends

ByMike Schiller

Haveyou ever found yourselfin a social setting trying toexplain to a group of casual

acquaintances just what it is youactually "do" as a sports turf man-ager? If, like me, you've been there,done that, you've likely seen aglazed look of total incomprehensioncome into their eyes. The more youtry to clarify, the less they seem tounderstand.

Contrast that experience to oneof your recent conversations with agroup of your peers. The ideaexchange is fast and furious, withtechnical terms dropped into theconversation and comprehended aseasily as those secret codes youprobably shared with friends as akid. You focus on key bits of infor-mation that have a direct bearing onthe maintenancepractices you've

programmed for your field, on equip-ment or supplies you're thinking aboutpurchasing, on personnel managementissues, or on suggestions that will helpmake your tasks more efficient.

A few minutes of this kind of con-versation can become a "mini-seminar"giving you ideas you can put to work.

Another key educational experiencecomes in visiting other sports turfmanagers at their facilities. This maybe part of a national or chapter work-shop or seminar-on-wheels tour, or aone-on-one session you've arranged aspart of a business or family trip.

Welcoming another sports turfman-ager to your facility can be as much alearning experience for you as for thevisitor. A question about how you han-dle a certain problem or perform a spe-cific procedure may help put some ofyour "standard" practices in betterfocus for both of you. Or, it may raisean issue or bring up a solution youhadn't previously considered.

If nothing else, you'll gather infor-mation on your facility from the view-point of a knowledgeable "outsider,"

~uManagers Association

and probably gain a better perspec-tive on how others - including fieldusers and spectators - view it.

I'm sure you'll be fortunateenough to discover, as I have, thatsome of those "networking" contactsdevelop into long-term friendships.You'll find yourself picking up thephone to ask some of these network-ing friends for their perspective on atough problem you're facing (andthey may have already solved); or toshare a success story with someonewho understands the reason it's asuccess; or to garner some sympa-thy and encouragement after a fail-ure. And you'll be on the giving endof those conversations as well.

So - what does all this have todo with STMA? Everything! STMAcan be your conduit to these net-working opportunities, as currentmembers already know.

If you're not yet a member andwant to find out more about how thisnetworking works, just call ourheadquarters at 800/323-3875. We'dlove to share the good news with you.

June 1997 9

By Bob Tracinski

A consistent, safe and highlyplayable surface is the rule, notthe exception, at Jim Drikakis

Field in John Bailey Park, BattleCreek, Michigan. The STMA's 1996-1997 Softball Field of the Year is ashining example of a successful balanc-ing act between heavy use and a goodmaintenance program.

"Bailey Park is the center of outdooractivity in Battle Creek," says HeadGroundskeeper Mike Varner.

The park has 11 playing fields,including C.O. Brown Stadium (homeof the Michigan Battle Cats, the ClassA Midwest League affiliate of theBoston Red Sox). Drikakis Field inFlannery Complex opened in 1993 andis where all the important games areplayed: adult slow-pitch, adult fast-pitch, high school and college fast-pitch, and the Michigan High SchoolAthletic Association girls fast-pitchstate finals. ,

All that differentiates DrikakisField from the other seven softballfields in the complex is that "it faces themain entrance and that's where theyput the bleachers," Varner observes.

Because of the field's busy schedule, maintenance must be worked in betweenmorning league games, day-time practices and games. Photo courtesy: Mike Varner.

II···.~H I·,j! f:ilt······.·.,h'·i .I rl'; .'.

J."z.j <ell

Working in MaintenanceWeekday evening games begin at 6

p.m. On weekends, fields are in usefrom 9 a.m. to dark - and longer onthe lighted fields. Maintenance proce-dures are worked in between the morn-ing league games, day-time practicesand games.

"Checklists are provided," Varnersays, "for each of the three mainte-nance categories: daily, weekly andperiodically - so no one can forgetwhat needs to be done."

"Our infield playing surfaces,"Varner says, "are made of crushedlimestone screenings [also called 'stonedust']. Good native clay/sand mixturesare hard to find in Michigan, and thenwe face the additional challenge of get-ting them screened properly becausemost of the native clay is very rocky.Stone dust is relatively inexpensive at$13 per ton. It's easy to maintain andworks well when wet. The only draw-backs are that it does not compact verywell in batter's boxes and gets prettydusty when it dries out."

Added to the middle of each of theinfields this year is an additionalsprinkler head.

"We can manually turn a ball valveto activate this head to keep the dust

10 sporfsTURF· http://www.sporsturfonline.com

ar.. d

down," Varner says. "We plan to runeach of these heads two or three timesa day for 10-minute intervals duringthe driest periods."

During daily infield maintenance,the front blade on the field rake is usedto push material back into holes anddepressions. With the stone-dust sur-face, the broom is used by itself unlesswet conditions require use of thespikes to promote better drying.Spiking is needed only occasionallyonce the freeze-thaw cycles of Marchand April have passed. Stone dust isadded to the infields as needed, andlips are washed twice a year.

For some supplies, Varner has aninnovative arrangement.

"We have an advertising/tickettrade-out," Varner says, "withTruGreeniChemlawn for the granularfertilization of all the park fields. Thisincludes signage in the C.O. BrownStadium, an ad in the Battle Cats pro-gram, and advertising during the radiobroadcasts of the Battle Cats games."

He keeps a master record of allgames scheduled on each of the 10fields and the stadium field each day,and makes adjustments for rain-outsand other cancellations. The actualgame figures are totaled for each field