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/40933
ST: How do you balance your work and personal time? Watt: The crew is what makes things happen. I know that the work that is scheduled will be completed and that the athletes will be provided with a safe field to show their skills on. We are a small crew but we get things done. Oh, and a cell phone! ST: How have you been dealing with reduced budget if indeed that is the case? Watt: The public education system has seen its fair share of budget cuts. As a manager, I stress the importance of taking care of the equipment through regular maintenance and proper operating practices. We need to get many more seasons out of the equipment. There also have been some adjustments on many of the fields with only treating areas that really need it. I think of Dr. Minner's statement about "a field within a field." ST: What's your most valued piece of equipment and why? Watt: Having 25 native soil fields, which are majority clay, the aerator is a great asset. The district has a pull-behind core roller aerator that works great. It allows us to travel around the district in a timely fashion and does the job. During the seasons of play, an Aer- Way with shatter tines is used to help break compaction. ST: Are you yet involved in "sustainable" management practices? If so, what are you doing? Watt:Working around children of various age groups, we have to be cautious of the work and products we use. For most of us, it has become second nature through common practices of proper irrigation, selection of products according to soil analysis, and timing of applications. Majority of the products I use are 30-50% slow-release and have had great success. ■ Equipment used at District Activities Complex Softball Field B&B 200-gallon sprayer RBG-1012-C blade grinder Graco 3900 Line Lazer IV Graco Field Lazer John Deere 1200A Infield Pro John Deere 4320 Tractor Aercore 1500 John Deere 797 John Deere backpack blower John Deere Pro Gator John Deere Turf TX Kubota M4900 tractor Lesco HPS spreader Redexim overseeder Quickpass topdresser Schaben sprayer Turfco Edge-R-Rite II Turfco Sod cutter Vicon Woods box blade STMA Field of the Year Awards The 2011 STMA Field of the Year Awards Application is available online at http://www.stma.org/professionalism/fieldyr/ Read the instructions for submitting carefully, as the process is entirely electronic this year. While not a true "online process," applicants are required to fill out the forms and submit their materials (forms and photos) via email, the internet or a flash drive or CD. It is the intent of the Awards Committee that this process allow for remote judging of applications, provide a level playing field (pun not intended) for all appli- cants regardless of budget spent on "the presentation" of the facts regarding the field, and really help the "story" of the field and crew shine through. [ The deadline to submit your application for 2011 STMA Field of the Year is Friday, October 15, 2011. ] STMA Field of the Year Awards may be presented in baseball, soft- ball, football, soccer, or sporting grounds and all entry materials must be submitted in accordance with the procedures outlined for each award. All award recipients will be selected by the STMA Awards Committee made up of highly-regarded STMA professionals. Award winners will be notified in November via phone and email. Those not selected will be notified via email in November as well. If you have any questions about the program, please call STMA Head- quarters at 800-323-3875. www.stma.org SportsTurf 39