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/82015
After the design and installation has taken place, the final step to an efficient, safe playing field is in the hands of the manager. irrigation for cleaning and cooling. There are new rotors on the market that can pro- vide the radius and flow required to do these jobs. Care needs to be taken in the initial design to ensure there is enough water and pressure available. EFFICIENT INSTALLATION After the design has been created and the products have been selected, the field manager needs to do his or her homework to find a professional contractor. When searching for a contractor, be sure to ask for references, referrals, and their certifica- tions. When it comes to installation, it is of the utmost importance to ensure that the installers closely follow the installation specifications provided by the manufactur- ers. Additionally, sprinklers should not be buried too low, operating pressure should not be too high, and the valve box should be filled with gravel and wired with the correct waterproof wire connectors. Make sure to have the contractor provide an "as built" design (how it was actually in- stalled/ built), and put a copy of this in the controller cabinet for maintenance of the system. This can come in tremen- dously handy, as site observations are cheap insurance policies during the instal- lation process. EFFICIENT MAINTENANCE/ MANAGEMENT After the design and installation has taken place, the final step to an efficient, safe playing field is in the hands of the manager. This person needs to understand what the products do and how to trou- bleshoot all of them, if required. Also, un- derstanding the specific site is very valuable when it comes to the water sup- ply, quality and available pressure. Many turf managers have taken classes on plant/soil/water relationships, and this knowledge is imperative when it comes to scheduling the amount of water the turf- grass needs and how quickly it might infil- trate through the different soil types. Education is probably the most important issue when it comes to maintenance and management. Basic irrigation classes on hydraulics, precipitation rates, distribution uniformity, and electricity are just a few topics that are offered by various associa- tions both nationally and locally. It's imperative that all sports field man- agers become members of STMA, Sports Turf Managers Association and then com- plete their certification. By becoming a CSFM (Certified Sports Field Manager), they add a professional endorsement to their resume and location of employment.■ Manager for Hunter Industries and the 2004 recipient of STMA's prestigious Harry C. Gill Memorial Founders Award. Lynda Wightman is Industry Relations www.stma.org SportsTurf 31