8 SportsTurf | August 2014 www.sportsturfonline.com
Facility & Operations | By Noel Brusius, CSFM and Mike Trigg, CSFM
A
fter a weekend of play the Waukegan (IL)
Park District SportsPark soccer fields are in
need of some rest. Most of the 13 natural turf
fields play an average of 10 games each weekend
beginning May 1 through October. The 138-
acre Waukegan SportsPark includes those 13 natural turf soccer
fields, a championship synthetic turf soccer/football field, four
softball fields, two concession facilities, nine restroom facilities, a
maintenance building, picnic areas and a playground with water
spray features. Maintaining a soccer complex to a high standard
is a diverse and complex process, most of which goes unseen by
the general public. From a turf manager's standpoint that is just
fine. Our goal is to provide the best playable, safe, and aesthetically
pleasing athletic surfaces as possible.
The maintenance operations are under the direction of
Certified Sports Field Manager, Noel Brusius. The SportsPark/
Athletic Field maintenance crew is responsible for all aspects of
the site and not just the turf or fields itself. This can include trash
control, cleaning restrooms, building maintenance and program
assistance.
Outside of hosting tournaments, special events or make-ups,
all soccer field use is typically scheduled on the weekends. This
provides a Monday-Friday work schedule that allows both rest and
regular maintenance in addition to aggressive cultural practices.
The phrase "working for the weekend" is one of our mottos.
Monday's focus is on other areas of the complex, not the
fields. Primarily trash clean up and restroom cleaning. With
nine restroom buildings in use over the weekends, cleaning on
Monday is a staff member's full day job. Areas outside the soccer
"WOrking FOr
The Weekend":
managing a large soccer complex
The phrase "working for the weekend"
is one of our mottos.
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