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/575944
STMA IN ACTION 44 SportsTurf | October 2015 www.sportsturfonline.com News from the Sports Turf Managers Association STMA's "Spotlight On: It's the Field" movie about the sports field management profession has been produced in Spanish. Its English version has been airing on PBS to educate the gen- eral public that sports field management is a profession; and that those in it are highly trained professionals. The Spanish version will help STMA communicate the same awareness information to Spanish-speaking audiences, and in particular, to those outside of the US. The STMA International Committee, chaired by Abby McNeal, CSFM, developed the idea for a Spanish version as part of its international outreach program. Members of the Committee include: Jose Maria Aldrete, Rene Asprion, Tab Buckner, Richard Campey, Murray Cook, Ken Curry, Russell Chambless, Roberto Gurgel, Noel Harryman, CSFM, Stanley Hing, Marcella Munoz, Don Scholl, CSFM, Jimmy Simpson, CSFM, Paula Sliefert, John Sorochan, PhD, Massimiliano Del Viva, Matthew Weaver, and Doron Zur. The movie will be distributed to sport governing bodies, teams, academics, commercial companies and other contacts in Spanish-speaking countries. Please feel free to share it with any of your contacts. You can access it and the English version at STMA. org (right navigation panel). Another use for both versions will be to introduce sports turf management as a career to high school students. ■ ST "Spotlight On: It's the Field" now in Spanish! Pictured is the portable pitcher's mound that had to be taken out and put in during the baseball/football overlapping season (Aug-Sept) from 1977 to post-1988. The Broncos and the AAA team Denver Bears (later named the Zephyrs) shared Mile High Stadium. The mound also was moved for many events other than football. A trailer, built by the Parks Department, was used to lift and move the mound and was pulled by a 5-ton tractor (not shown). Due to the weight of the equipment moving on the field, field manage- ment staff, led by Sports Field Manager Steve Wightman, built a "road-way" from the warning track to the mound with two layers of ¾-inch plywood. The trailer was equipped with four cable winches (hand cranked) to lift the mound once the trailer was in the correct position. To lift the mound, the transition team had to expose the four hooks that were welded to the steel plating located underneath the clay. The winch cables were then attached and the mound lifted, secured and transported. The mound plate was 13 feet in diameter and made of ¾-inch solid steel plating with a 2-inch steel ribbon welded around the plat- ing to help hold the clay during transport. The plating was also reinforced underneath with a 1-inch angle iron for support when in place and when being moved. A permanent 6-inch thick concrete slab, also 13 feet in diameter, supported the mound when in place with the top of the slab 4 inches below field grade. The concrete slab remained in the playing field year- round. For various events other that football, the 4-inch thick "insert" shown in the photo was laid and secured over the concrete slab. For football, the slab was covered with soil and 1 ½-inch thick sod. The mound plate was 13 feet in diameter for safety reasons. With an 18-foot pitchers' mound circle the clay is thinner as it slopes to the edges, and it was critical that no cleats or holes got near the metal plating. ■ ST 1978 Football/Baseball Transition at Mile High