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| Publication Type:
| Professional |
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| Author(s): | Miller, Grady L. |
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| Author Affiliation: | Professor and Extension Specialist, North Carolina State University |
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| Title: | Maximizing the performance of heavily used athletic fields |
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| Source: | North Carolina Turfgrass. November/December 2007, p. 14-19. |
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| Publishing Information: | Southern Pines, NC: The Turfgrass Council of North Carolina, Inc. |
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| # of Pages: | 6 |
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| Keywords: | TIC Keywords: Athletic fields; Wear; Wear resistance; Sports turf maintenance; Construction; Drainage; Compaction; Budgets; Plant recovery; Traffic; Best management practices
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| Abstract/Contents: | Offers suggestions for maintenance techniques that may help increase the wear tolerance of high-use sports fields. Emphasizes that "since field wear is influenced by so many variables, no definitive equation can be used to predict when a field will begin showing signs of wear or when it will fail." Suggests that "an ideal situation is to have adequate numbers of fields so that use can be properly distributed. It is best to have specific game and practice fields dedicated to only one sport to eliminate compound wear from two or more sports. Additionally there should be a sound turf-maintenance program in place that promotes turf growth and recovery." Also suggests that "good fields begin with a sound construction strategy, and careful planning is imperative for long term success." States that "in terms of turfgrasses, bermudagrass is the ideal turfgrass surface for most of North Carolina's athletic fields. The one exception may be fields in upper elevations in the western part of the state." Discusses potential methods of determining wear tolerance, suggesting the use of "on-site field-use data from previous years, which requires careful documentation of games, practices and other events. As the demand for fields increases, more managers are starting to track field use." Also discusses possible methods of reducing wear damage, including "restrict use of the field when the soil is very wet"; "restrict use when the soil is very dry and the turf is wilted"; "always have coaches rotate heavy play areas during practices"; "use portable goals when possible, and move them around the field"; "if possible, move the soccer-field sidelines during the year"; "on game fields, restrict all practices to a minimum"; and "have a reduced game schedule when grass is dormant." Concludes that "to maximize the use of a field, there must be open communication among the field manager, the people responsible for scheduling the field and the field users. Once excessive wear and field overuse result in hazardous and unsafe playing conditions, the field manager must request that the field be closed. Safety of the users must be paramount." |
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| Language: | English |
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| References: | 0 |
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| Note: | Pictures, color
Tables |
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| ASA/CSSA/SSSA Citation (Crop Science-Like - may be incomplete):
Miller, G. L. 2007. Maximizing the performance of heavily used athletic fields. N.C. Turfgrass. p. 14-19. |
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| If there are problems with this record, send us feedback about record 139822. |
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| 
MSU catalog number: b2176980a |
| Find from within TIC:
Digitally in TIC by file name: nctun2007novdec |
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