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/34725
F.O.Y. | North Scott Community School District >> 7/1/09: 70 days after seeding programs for effectiveness and examine the labor intensity required to produce those results. It is our goal is to be as cost effective as possible without sacrificing quality. We also take the time to run our own trials with new products or maintenance techniques to keep us on the cutting edge. This way we know exactly what to ex- pected before our investing in a field wide application or with a new maintenance procedure. We are always looking for the best blend of maintenance practices and procedures that will provide us with the highest quality of the turf. This past year we conducted multiple test of Tenacity herbicide (Syngenta) for the purpose of exploring if it is something that would fit into our programs. Through our own research, we learned that this may be an effective tool for reducing poa annua in our bluegrass fields and have developed a comfort level with this product through our own trials. This year we will be applying Tenacity @ 3.2 oz/acre every other day for a total of five applications starting in early June on our blue- grass soccer and football fields. We hope to repeat the same success we had in our trials last year and if so, we expect to see a significant reduction in the poa annua in our fields. Another change this year is that we will be >> 7/30/09: Turf profile 100 days after seeding Netwal: “Green Side Up” over the years it has come to mean many different things for me as a turf manager; but mostly this term, reminds me not to take things so seriously. It all started out, many years ago on a sodding project, when one of my staff inten- tionally laid one piece of sod upside down. It was on that day, that I believed that I learned not to take myself, so seriously and that term has followed me throughout my career to mean just about anything I need it too, regarding turf management. By treating these areas separately from the rest of the field, we hope to grow more durable turf on the sidelines and between the hash marks. treating our high wear areas on our football field differently than the rest of the field. We will be overseeding our sidelines and the area between the hash marks between the 20-yard lines with Rush Kentucky Bluegrass. It is our hope that this more aggressive bluegrass will perform better in these high traffic wear areas. Another change to our program will be to supplement these same areas with additional nutrients to bolster the growth and den- sity of the turf these vulnerable areas. By treating these areas sepa- rately from the rest of the field, we hope to grow more durable turf on the sidelines and between the hash marks. ST: What’s the best piece of turf management advice you have ever received? 46 SportsTurf | July 2011 Another bit of advice that has always stuck with me throughout my life and career is some- thing that my father had often reminded me of, and that was; “anything worth doing is worth doing right.” This advice as has guided me throughout much of life and career. I may not have always gotten things right, but I figure if you start out trying, hopefully most of what I do will. ST: How do you balance your work and per- sonal time? Netwal: Not very well, this has always been a challenge for me. Unfortunately, some very special people have made some sacrifices, so that I could pursue my career goals and now that that time has passed, I may never be able to get that time back. My advice to others in this profession would be to make sure that you take the time for yourself and your family. Fortunately, I have taken up a new hobby and I have actu- ally taken some time off work to pursue it. ST: What advice might you have for K-12 turf managers who are trying to maintain high standards despite budget cuts? Netwal: One thing that has worked very well for me over the years is what I refer to as my “Sports Field Maintenance Plan.” This plan is a very detailed written plan that outlines every maintenance task, product application and costing information for everything we do in the maintenance of our athletic fields. We calculate how much each individual maintenance input for our fields is actually www.sportsturfonline.com