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: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/141613
ties when the tailgate came down and the painter fell out at about 35 mph. The handle bars were bent a little, but it started up on the first pull and we painted the soccer field with it. ABBY MCNEAL, CSFM Director of Turf Management Wake Forest Athletics Make a good "game plan" for painting by setting the pathway to get things done with the group; this keeps everyone on the same page so they should know what comes next in the process to best be prepared in case things occur. Have a clear understanding of the layout and/or the logo and take pictures of the logo and field measurements with you into the field to ensure that you put it in the correct location. The picture also helps to make sure that you paint the logo correctly. Field layout information also helps to make sure you have all the correct markings for that particular sport. Make sure that you have towels and water as paint spills happen and you will need to be prepared to clean them up. Take extra string, nails, and tape measures of varying lengths to help make sure you layout the field or logo correctly. Take a picture of the final product to be proud and to learn from in the future (teaching tool). Worst painting disaster I have seen is an NFL field with the arrows on the wrong side of the numbers. I won't say which one but it was about 15 years ago. Worst painting disaster I was a part of occurred when paint was spilled onto synthetic turf and the employee flooded/washed the spill are with water. The waste water, diluted white water, washed into a local stream and was reported. We then had to provide information (MSDS and labels) to the fire department and environmental police. The employee did the proper thing by washing the spill out, just a lesson learned to know remember where things drain too. The fire department flooded the area with more water to help the situation. KEVIN WHITE Athletic Grounds Lead Seattle University 1. Be prepared; make sure you have everything you need and it is ready to go before you start painting. 2. Pay attention to the radar (weather forecasts in Seattle are not always accurate!) 3. Double check the layout from the stands (or higher vantage point) just to make sure everything looks right. 4. Clean-up is just as important as setup! My worst disaster happened a couple of years ago during our men's soccer home opener against the University of Washington. We had just purchased a new airless sprayer and wanted to use it for the first time to paint the field. Our men's and women's teams use our field for training and games, and because of scheduling we paint before each game so the lines are bright and crisp. We set up the sprayer and ran water through it the day before and thought we were good to go, but for some reason we couldn't get paint to come out of the tip on this day. We discovered we were missing the tip seal, but didn't have a spare and were running out of time. I managed to find an old aerosol sprayer and enough cans to at least put lines on the field (so I thought). Half way down one side, the cable breaks on the handle...I have 30 minutes left before the game kicks off, and I still need to paint AND wind up string. Needless to say, we now have spare everything, including a functioning aerosol sprayer and paint as a backup. n BRETT TANNER, CSFM Sports Turf Technician University of Virginia Use a clean and dependable painter. A good paint job starts with good equipment. Consistent cleaning and maintenance of your paint machine will help guarantee its performance when called upon. It's also good to have a backup plan as well, aerosol, 4 inch rollers, or even chalk if needed. Understand and communicate what is being done and expectations. I try to gather everyone who will be involved during the painting process and go over the steps and the order in which we'll complete each one. I also print out diagrams of the field being painted including field measurements and colors of logos. I always want to make sure we have enough time to ensure we take all the steps to provide the highest quality product possible. It also helps in the event of inclement weather, equipment problems, or reduced staffing. I think I've been fortunate, if you're prepared and organized I feel that you can avoid most mistakes. Some of the "disasters" I have been involved with the occasional upside down 3, an arrow pointed the wrong way, or stencil burn from marking a logo in the afternoon on a hot day. You learn from those mistakes and take the appropriate steps to avoid them the next time. www.stma.org SportsTurf 23