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/714252
www.stma.org September 2016 | SportsTurf 35 IRRIGATION & DRAINAGE ■ BY MARY HELEN SPRECHER W hen a football field needs improvement and there's money to sink into it, it's likely that the owner is going to be faced with the choice of how this money gets used. Deciding between one improvement and another isn't easy at all. After all, some improvements are highly visible and make a field look like a showpiece. An improved entryway, a new scoreboard, upgraded lighting, Wi-Fi throughout, a press box — those are some great examples of physical improvements that add a lot to a football stadium's aesthetic. They're additionally valuable because they allow for recognition of sponsors, donors, alumni and other benefactors, and they look good when sportswriters see them. But on the other end of the scale is what can be classified as largely invisible investments. They add to the playing experience, make the field work better overall but they're just not sexy. Examples might include new irrigation equipment, better fencing and better storage buildings for maintenance equipment. Most people would agree that it's not as easy to put a donor's name on a storage shed as it is to put it on a scoreboard. And let's face it; those kinds of improvements are right up there on the excitement scale with household insulation and basement waterproofing. They're not glamorous, but they are totally necessary. At the top of the list of what really makes a field great (and isn't the least attractive as an expenditure) is this: drainage. After all, even the best Wi-Fi and the coolest scoreboard won't count for much if the field can't be used because it's a muddy mess. The usefulness of the field and its long-term performance, as well as the satisfaction of athletes and ultimately of the field owner, is all tied to having an effective drainage system. FOOTBALL DRAINAGE: IT'S WHAT'S INSIDE THAT COUNTS ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF GRAND PARK, WESTFIELD, IN COURTESY OF AMERICAN SPORTS BUILDERS ASSOCIATION AWARDS PROGRAM, 2014.