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/605094
42 SportsTurf | December 2015 www.sportsturfonline.com FIELD OF THE YEAR working relationships with our user groups and spend a lot of face time. ST: Any tips on communicating well? Cogdill: We are very engaged with our contractors includ- ing program, camp and tournament managers. One tip that has proven as successful is to spend face-time with our contractors and user groups. For example, we have a standard for facili- tating one-on-one walkthroughs before athletic tournaments and programs. The walkthroughs have proven as important to learn more about our user groups' needs and to share infor- mation about department and city resources. For example, we use walk-through time to address last minute questions and to alert our contractors of facility highlights, our amenities, and to emphasize our commitment to community health. We com- ply with the city's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) policy and sustainable practices and our fields have been maintained without the use of pesticides and herbicides for nearly 15 years and are free of products that can cause allergic reactions. We also promote our water conservation efforts. Additionally, we communicate frequently with the Boulder Convention & Visi- tor Bureau to support visitor engagement in Boulder. Finally, we use our social media network to post satellite weather updates and field conditions to keep our user groups in the loop. Our department's social media team also strategizes monthly outreach that is timely and educational. Visually en- gaging content including dynamic photographs capturing fam- ily and community activities are very popular. ST: What are your specific job responsibilities? What do find most enjoyable? What task is your least favorite and why? Cogdill: My field maintenance responsibilities include mow- ing, fertilizing, coordinating soil samples, Clegg testing, seeding, irrigation, trash removal, and the lining of fields. I'm also in- volved in public relations, education, and outreach activities to help promote our great amenities and the city's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) standards and sustainable practices. This in- cludes exploring current field maintenance industry trends and innovative tools like our satellite monitoring app that we recently adopted into our daily irrigation maintenance routine. Our District Services and programming team coordinates all of our contracts, payments, schedules, walk-throughs and provides most communications. The most enjoyable aspect of the job is a happy customer, re- gardless of age and background, and watching our community enjoy the benefits of our high-quality fields and physical activity. We care for our user groups and have built strong relations with them. It is wonderful to see inclusive community pride unfold on our fields. It's all about empowering our local youth and engag- ing our future generations through the fun of play! Cleaning up trash and recycling potentially hazardous mate- rials can be challenging at times. However, we are committed to provide a clean and safe environment to our user groups. ST: How do you see the your job changing in the future? Cogdill: I think that there will be continued emphasis on field attenuation, field safety, and academic development with a greater focus on overall player health and organic pest con- trol in compliance with our city's IPM standards. I will also be more involved in sustaining Boulder's tree resilience efforts in response to the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infestation. We will diversify our urban canopy and plant trees in areas surrounding public parks and fields in 2016 and years to come. ST: What changes are you planning to make to your mainte- nance plan for 2016, if any? Cogdill: I'm planning a greater emphasis on deep time core aeration and topdressing, with a greater focus on field drainage. We will also increase our biodiversity efforts for the fields' soil tilt. ST: What's the best piece of turf management advice you have ever received? Cogdill: Ross Kurcab, former Denver Bronco turf manager, once said to me: "Just broadcast your seed in your heavy use and wear areas and let the players' foot traffic provide the rest." Ross was our consultant and helped us with our turf man- agement plan. We wanted to improve our turf to prevent con- cussions and to enhance overall play safety standards. We were fortunate to have Ross on board. Our department appreciates working with local, experienced experts and Ross offered in- valuable advice regarding our turf maintenance's efforts. ST: How do you balance your work and personal time? Cogdill: I am very busy during growing and scheduled play season. However, when not at Pleasant View you can find me with my family exploring the Park Canyon and Washakie Wil- derness area in Wyoming. I'm a big outdoor enthusiast and love to hike and fish. ST: Are you yet involved in "sustainable" management prac- tices? If so, what are you doing? Cogdill: As mentioned, sustainable practices are at the core of the city's and our department's facility maintenance efforts. Our turf has been pesticide and herbicide free for nearly 15 years and is free of products that can cause allergic reactions. The facility is also equipped with a field drainage system that can accommodate many sports and play activities, even during inclement weather. We also maintain large native borders around the field com- plex to encourage native plant growth. Our sand-based irriga- tion system plays a major role in our natural lands preserva- tion and water conservation efforts. The fields' drain system captures extra water and redirects it to the fields' native borders and nearby Four Mile Creek enhancing its riparian and wildlife habitat areas. Other sustainable practices include recycling of our clip- pings, reuse of paint buckets for snow removal (approx. 600- 800 gallons per year for field lines), and turning of fields and goals every spring and fall season to align with local wind and weather systems to improve overall quality of play. ■ ST