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/484138
42 SportsTurf | April 2015 www.sportsturfonline.com because morale during this period was at an all time low. The crew and I became extremely tired of doing the same things day after day: shovel snow, break and chip ice, "Sure Dry", repeat! We were all glad to have a break in the weather and get the season underway and prep the field for the tournament/games. The original construction of the field was in 1996. Other than an additional drain line and moving the outfield wall back, nothing has changed with the playing surface. Native soil with a heavy clay content requires aerification on a regular basis to limit compaction for proper drainage. The field is set up to have the majority of the water run towards the foul territory track then to the outfield warn- ing track area. This works most of the time, but right field tends to hold water longer than any other location, so it is usually the first area we use the "Whale" Super Sopper. This piece of equipment is a lifesaver. It can remove some serious amounts of water. It can easily remove 5,890 gal/hr. I have never needed it to remove that much, but it saved us several times last season, and I am glad we have one to use. Not only can we use it on the grass, but it does a fantastic job removing standing water from our warning track that has less than adequate drainage. Having a ryegrass playing surface is great during the months of January through May and September through December. I did not include June through August because I have to manage the grass completely different those months. Chemical applications and monitoring irrigation becomes of topmost priority. During these summer months the majority of camps are conducted, so any wear areas that develop and could easily be taken care of any other time have to be treated with extreme caution. Do not over irrigate, watch the nighttime temperatures and please no substantial rainfall! All was well until August 8-10. We received an excessive amount of rain (6+ inches). The temperatures were high and I had no way of making a fungicide application because the rain never stopped. When I came in Monday morning on the 11th, pythium blight had developed on the field. The foul territory and along the back arch of the infield were affected the most. The total precipitation amount we have accumulated here in Lexington, Kentucky to date is 47.41 inches. It came in multiple different forms, bringing its own unique challenges along the way. I learned a great deal this year, not just as a turf manager, but as a father and a husband. New methods and practices were learned, some that worked and others that failed. I continue to remind myself that you attempt to control the controllable and challenge yourself daily. SportsTurf: What are your specific job responsibilities? Harshman: At the University of Kentucky I manage and maintain the day-to-day activities and oversee the majority of the maintenance practices for the university's softball facility, John Cropp Stadium and the Bell Soccer Complex (consisting of a training & competition field). I also communicate daily with three separate coaching staffs making sure they are informed of field and weather conditions that may alter activities. ST: What do find most enjoyable? What task is your least favorite and why? Harshman: The most enjoyable aspect of the job is at the conclusion of a game when all the repairs are made. After all the spectators are gone, I'm left alone in the quietness of the facility, standing under the lights watering the infield. Least enjoyable—snow removal! ST: How did you get started in turf management? Harshman: My turf management career started in 2005 while working at my family's golf course in Northeast Indiana. I obtained my Golf Turf Management Certification from Rutgers University in 2008. That same year I switched to sports turf and began work- ing for the Louisville Bats Baseball Club. In 2011, I relocated to Baton Rouge, LA and became the Assistant Sports Turf Manager at Louisiana State University. My family and I moved back to the Bluegrass State in 2013 so I could work as the Assistant Sports Turf manager at the University of Kentucky. ST: What changes if any are you considering or implementing for the winning field in 2015? Harshman: A change we implemented this offseason is how we managed the infield during the winter months. We rolled the infield multiple times (weather permitting) in the months of November through January. We also kept the infield covered from November through January with a custom-fit infield skin tarp. By keeping the infield tight and covered all winter helped us in prepping the field for early practices in January. It also reduced the amount of freeze/ thaw combination we encountered the previous year. ST: How do you balance your family life with work demands? Harshman: Personally, this upcoming softball season will be a little different compared to last season. During the 2014 season, my wife was stuck in Central Africa fighting and waiting to bring our daughter home. Since their homecoming in July 2014, balancing the two aspects of my life has been a work in progress, but one that is manageable. During the fall 2014, my wife and daughter would come in for lunch or just hang out for awhile on the days I knew I would be working late. They would also stop by to watch whatever sporting event was happening that particular day. Having the ability to bring my family into work helps balance being a father, husband and sports turf manager. ST: If you could snap your fingers and instantly could change one thing about your work life, what would it be? Harshman:If I could change on thing about my work life it would be: Snow removal and the effects it has on the turf. There's no right or wrong way to remove snow, but it can be a monumental task and can use many man hours that would benefit elsewhere. ST: How do you see your job changing in the future? Harshman: With new technologies in the sports turf industry happening all the time, maintenance practices and the means to apply them change at a rapid rate and evolve into something better. Staying up to date on trends/technologies is a never-ending cycle. Sports Turf Managers need to keep themselves educated while learning and sharing ideas amongst their peers. By doing so, we will not only better ourselves, but the millions of athletes that compete on our fields every year will reap these benefits of our hard work and dedication. ■ ST FielD oF the Year