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/73468
Facility&Operations A unique funding model was devised at KSU to pay for the land acquisition and construction. The Student Fee Committee and the Georgia State Board of Regents approved student financ- ing of the project, which was underwritten by the KSU Founda- tion. Students are assessed $75 per semester towards payment of the land acquisition, construction and park development. "The college administration agreed with the students that im- portant life lessons take place outside the classroom on the sports field," says Laura St. Onge, associate director of sports and recre- ation at the university. St. Onge has been in involved in the project since its inception rigation costs, the artificial fields opened new opportunities for the campus. "We now have year-round playability on consistent surfaces, which can enhance training and performance," she said. "Games can be scheduled regardless of weather conditions be- cause the drainage system keeps the fields playable during or after a rainfall. Scheduling is seamless and the fields are virtually 'can- cellation free,'" she said. With minimal maintenance and irrigation scheduling, the and oversees day- to-day operations, including site improvements and maintenance. A 20-year veteran of the landscape industry, she has specialized in sports fields. NEW OPPORTUNITIES WITH SYNTHETIC TURF Synthetic turf was selected for a range of reasons, according to St. Onge. Along with the savings from lower maintenance and ir- >> Below left: THE NEW KSU SPORTS AND RECREATION PARK encom- passes 88 acres and, along with the new fields, includes a stadium, in- door training facility, NCAA track, sand volleyball courts and nearly one-mile hiking/jogging trail. >> Below right: SPRINKLERS ARE RUN be- fore sporting events, and often at halftime, to keep the playing surfaces cool and clean. Surface temperatures can reach 150-180 degrees on hot summer days. Water can bring the field temperature down 50-60 degrees. fields are available day and night for multiple extracurricular ac- tivities. And the school has the option to lease the fields to other athletic groups and associations, providing revenue during idle times. Southwest Greens International (a division of Shaw Industries) manufactured and installed all six synthetic turf fields with XP Pro Fiber, a material designed for high-use, multi-purpose sports fields and which provides a realistic playing surface. "The yarn used in the fiber is specifically for sports fields and >> LAURA ST. ONGE, asso- ciate director of sports and recreation at KSU, over- sees day-to-day operations, including site improve- ments and maintenance. >> Above: UNDERHILL TOTAL SOLUTIONS KITS were installed at KSU. The TS Kits are new all-in-one sprinkler assembly packages that include sprinkler hardware and detailed AutoCad illustrations of the site-specific irrigation system. 38 SportsTurf | July 2012 www.sportsturfonline.com