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/49194
In essence, I had to use the three tenets; turf- grass fundamentals, on site data, and cutting edge research. First, there were times we didn't have the equipment or the proper equipment to complete the job such as implementing a core cultivation strategy. The core cultivation fundamental and strategy was crucial for the success of the sports fields at the school, and a way had to be found. So, I talked to a golf course superintendent and fellow Michigan State alum, and he helped me out, and I had to ask him more than once. By having knowledge of good soil and turf- grass fundamentals, I could allocate my budget items to the practices that were critical for a successful sports field; mowing, overseeding, fertilizing and core cultivation. Notice there is no irrigation in the last sentence. Timing of the applications with rainfall was critical…like I said a minimal budget. Going through this process, I continually had to educate the crew and coaches why we were doing what were doing? The constant question was "Why?" "Why overseed so much?" "Why do you have to core cultivate?" and my favorite, "Why can we not go on the field today?" It was a new en- vironment for them, and within a short time, THEY reaped the benefits and eventually un- derstood "Why." I simply knew from my edu- cation the fundamentals. As play continued on the sports fields, I was also collecting data. At the time, an important question to answer was, "How many hours was the field in use?" At Nichols, we had five fields and not all of them were used equally. By an- swering this question, I had information to make wiser decisions on materials and strate- gies on where to improve the sports fields, and it was information our chief financial officer could understand. This one example of a par- ticular piece of data was language that BOTH the sports field manager and a budget adminis- trator could identify with and could make meaningful choices moving forward. My athletic management (and coaching management) experiences have taught me to be persistent and continue to present as much data as I can, with less emotion. I have been guilty of not adhering to this and have learned over time, from people smarter than me, to have data in order to state your case whether it was turfgrass or ice hockey. It may take time, and yet if you have empathy for the other person across from you and keep a level head, then maybe you will be able to help each other meet the goals that are in the best interest of the entity you represent. CONCENTRATE ON WHAT'S POSSIBLE Surprisingly or maybe not surprisingly, many people (not so much in this industry) are shocked when I discuss with them that a sports field is not a golf course. Once I layout the options for them, and they consider what is possible (typically based on budget), they consider new possibilities which can move them into a "New Dimension" of thinking. Never was this more clear was when I was working at Nichols School. In the summer of 2008, school officials discussed with me a renovation project for the baseball field. Ap- proximately 3/4 of an acre had to be reestab- lished for this project. [Editor's note: You can read about this project in the November 2008 issue of SportsTurf, "How to get a sports field ready in 70 days."] Continue on page 45 www.stma.org SportsTurf 23