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/60100
subsurface drainage, whether or not it is crowned, etc.) Many field builders note they are seeing a preponderance of synthetic fields being installed, and being designated for lacrosse. They also note that lighting is being added to many existing fields; lighting extends the playing hours and allows one field to host more activities, thereby making it a more cost-efficient investment. THE MARKINGS "We definitely see an increase in the sport of lacrosse," notes Dan Wright, whose company, Sports Turf Company, Inc. in Whitesburg, GA serves the Atlanta area. "More and more synthetic fields installed are requiring the markings for lacrosse." In such cases, he adds, men's lacrosse lines are inlaid and women's lacrosse is "tick-marked" for painting. Field builders note that if a facility will accommodate multiple sports, such as soc- cer, football, field hockey and lacrosse, care should be taken in lining it. Multiple sets of lines in varying colors can leave the field with what has been called a "playground" or "gymnasium floor" look. Instead, say the pros, field managers need first to decide which sport the field will host the most often (or perhaps which is most important to the owner, such as the high school or college whose property it is). That sport, then, is designated the "primary" sport, and those playing lines should be marked in the brightest color. The primary field colors are typically white and yellow if there are two sports on the field. Don't be surprised if lacrosse is one of those primary sports. And don't be sur- prised when you see what isn't. "We are seeing a large increase in men's and women's lacrosse around here," says Lance Rosenberger of Medallion Athletic Products in Mooresville, NC. "Almost every university we did last year included lacrosse lines as part of their soccer field. In Geor- gia, we did three fields with football and men's lacrosse, but no soccer." Additionally, he notes, "a few universities are planning on upgrading their lacrosse programs from a club sport to an NCAA program." Once the primary sport(s) have been de- termined and marked in the brightest and most visible colors, the secondary sports can take more muted line colors such as blue or brown. Another option is to provide limited field markings (hash marks or tick marks) that are inlaid into the turf, allowing for temporary markings to be placed. THE EQUIPMENT While players will carry around plenty of their own sports equipment, including sticks, balls and personal items such as uni- forms, gloves, helmets, goggles and so on (plus the added protective equipment car- ried by goalies), the equipment necessary to the sport itself is rather light. It may include goals, backstops, targets and rebound nets www.stma.org SportsTurf 29