SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/433388
Why STMA Should conSider your field A Winner? Our field has seen an extreme amount of activity over the past year. From college football to a three day Rock and Roll festival, we no longer take care of a soccer stadium; we take care of an entertainment venue that hosts soccer games. Our staff has given up their time to provide the best possible playing surface. We feel our playing surface through- out the season is one of the best in soccer, no matter what activity we have recently had on the field. Our staff has made every effort to continue to improve on the success our field has had in the past. Our stadium is 15 years old, older than any other professional soccer stadium. We have only replaced our field once in that time. Our field has very little poa annua which helps us provide the best footing possible. We have deep roots consistently throughout the season, which helps us deal with the extra events we host on a regular basis. We follow the advice we learn from our peers about field maintenance and try create new ways of field management to better our field. We push the limits of what our field can handle to provide the best experience for the fans of whatever event we may have. We real- ize the importance our field has to the Crew organization and its ability to raise income. We work closely with stadium management to implement all event ideas and will do whatever it takes for our field to be consistent through these events. We deserve field of the year be- cause no other stadium sees the rain, snow, cold, heat, and events like football, soccer, concerts, yoga, human foosball, etc. that we do while continuing to have a high level surface. In 2010, our facility won field of the year. Brett Tanner was the Director of Grounds during that season. He has since moved on but we still have a lot of the same staff he had that season. is award would provide the staff with an understanding that no matter the circumstances they are faced with, they are the reason this facility is great. It's not about the leadership; it's about the people who do the work that make athletic fields what they are. SportsTurf: What attracted you to a ca- reer in sports turf management? Appelfeller: Growing up I had a love for taking care of lawns, sports and farming. When I realized there was a career that com- bined all three I knew I was set. From my freshman year of high school I set a goal to be a Sports Turf Manager. ST: How do you balance your family life with work demands? Appelfeller: Early on in my career work was everything. I got married in college and my wife learned early on the demands of groundskeeping. Now, as a father of two kids I realize that family is everything. I meet the work demands head on, but I realize that as groundskeepers we need to balance life out- side of work better. Having great employees that share the same drive and determination makes it possible to focus more on life away from work. ST: How do you see the sports turf man- ager's job changing in the next 5-10 years? Appelfeller: I think as sports turf man- agers we are evolving. We are trying new practices and eager for knowledge. As we move forward I believe we will rely less on what we have always known to work and push for trying new inventions. Whether it's pushing bermudagrass to the north or fraze mowing, we are in an exciting time and the future is only going to get brighter. ST: Do you plan any adjustments, large or small, to your maintenance plan in 2015? Did you purchase any new equipment or product for this year? Appelfeller: We are always looking to improve what we are doing here at Colum- bus Crew Stadium. At the end of each year we evaluate what we have done, and look for ways to make the fields stronger and more durable. is year will be no different. As our season comes to a close, we have begun to review what has worked and what will need improved. Our budget hasn't allowed for us to upgrade our equipment and so we will go into next season armed with the same fleet of equipment. ST: What's the greatest pleasure you derive from your job? What's the biggest headache? Appelfeller: e greatest pleasure I derive from my job comes from working with a great crew to accomplish one goal. Working with a tight knit group to provide the safest, most playable, and visually ap- pealing fields is very rewarding. e biggest headache comes from balanc- ing extra event schedules and the personali- ties that come with them. Our motto is to try to never say no when it comes to field usage. We would like as little activity as pos- sible on our playing surface, but understand in order for our team to be successful we need to host extra events. Balancing these events with what is best for the health of the turf is the toughest issue. STMA would like to thank Carolina Green, Ewing, Hunter Industries and World Class Athletic Surfaces for their continued sup- port of the Field of the Year Awards Program. www.stma.org December 2014 | SportsTurf 43 Toro 3100 D Reelmaster John Deere 2653 B John Deere Gator TX John Deere ProGator Toro SR70 Deep Time Aerifier John Deere Aercore 1000 John Deere 4320 Tractor John Deere 4100 John Deere ProGator Sprayer Cone Spreader Anderson Sr-2000 Spreaders Edger Ty-Crop Topdresser John Deere TC125 Core Harvester Equipment list