www.stma.org March 2015 | SportsTurf 39
Why STMA Should conSider your field A Winner?
I think the STMA should consider the baseball field at Russ
Chandler Stadium for FOY because of the very unusual winter
weather we experienced in 2014. We had two major winter
storms, one of which made national news due to the way it
absolutely paralyzed Atlanta. We also had two separate occasions
of record-breaking lows. Obviously, dealing with snow and ice is
standard operating procedure for many of my colleagues around
the country, but here in Atlanta it is quite unusual. Consequently,
we do not have a lot of experience in snow/ice removal, nor do
we have any specialized equipment for it. One of the reasons I
believe we should be considered for FOY is how we not only
overcame many obstacles to keep the baseball field usable, but
also how we chipped in at all the other athletic facilities to help
get things back to normal.
One of the best examples of this is how we hosted a softball
tournament on the fly because our team got stranded in Atlanta,
as they could not fly to Arizona due to road closures and flight
cancellations. Our six-game baseball tournament season opener
had been on the schedule for months. So with the exception of
snow and ice removal, field preparations were business as usual.
However, when the AD for Facilities walked up and said, "Hey,
what do guys think about hosting four softball games tomorrow
and Sunday?" We were all in a little bit of shock, but my crew rose
to the challenge, and I am very proud of them (Georgia State had
a tournament scheduled that weekend and we partnered with
them last minute).
However, that was not the only area in which we were thrown
a curveball. It was also basketball season and UNC made it in on
the last plane into Atlanta. UNC had to take Marta (our public
transit system) and then walk the remaining distance to their
hotel. Grounds pitched in and helped clear all the areas around
the basketball arena. They then proceeded to work the game in
any capacity needed: security, concessions, facilities as a large per-
centage of the support personnel could not get to the arena. For
example, the game was to be televised, but never aired because
not enough broadcast personnel could report. We actually came
under fire for continuing on with that game when the city around
us was in shambles, e.g., people still sleeping in lawn furniture at