FIELD OF THE YEARremoval and more raking, the out-field was ready for sod. Alocal sod company,Duda...
8
FIELD OF THE YEAR [ Apopka High School Softball Earns STMA 2000 Field of the Year Award Steve and Suz Trusty T he softball complex at Apopka (Florida) High School has been a work in progress since 1998, according to Mike MacWithey, head coach, head groundskeeper, and all around everything else. After serving as the school's assistant softball coachfor 12years, MacWithey accepted the head coaching position in 1996. He says, "When I took over, we had no girl's softball field. We prac- ticed and played our home games at a 8 May2001 nearby city field. Winning the District Championship that first year brought credibility to our program and helped us focus school and community atten- tion on the lack of facilities. The school's very successful boys baseball program provided an example of what is required to build, maintain and operate a beautiful complex. This served as a motivation and an exam- ple for our girl's program. "Aconcentrated lobbying effort by all involved earned a commitment for use of the school property between the existing baseball and football fields. With a rallying slogan of 'The Tradition Begins' we set out to build the finest softball facility in the state." A parent of one of the players sur- veyed the parcel. The bases and fence lines were marked. The Orange County School Board supplied the infield material. MacWithey selected sports TURF • http://www.sporsturfonline.com
Transcript of FIELD OF THE YEARremoval and more raking, the out-field was ready for sod. Alocal sod company,Duda...
FIELD OF THE YEAR[ Apopka High School
Softball Earns STMA 2000Field of the Year Award
Steve and Suz Trusty
The softball complex at Apopka(Florida) High School has beena work in progress since 1998
according to Mike MacWithey headcoach head groundskeeper and allaround everything else
After serving as the schools assistantsoftball coach for 12years MacWitheyaccepted the head coaching position in1996 He says When I took over wehad no girls softball field We prac-ticed and played our home games at a
8 May2001
nearby city field Winning the DistrictChampionship that first year broughtcredibility to our program and helpedus focus school and community atten-tion on the lack of facilities Theschools very successful boys baseballprogram provided an example of whatis required to build maintain andoperate a beautiful complex Thisserved as a motivation and an exam-ple for our girls program
Aconcentrated lobbying effort by all
involved earned a commitment foruse of the school property betweenthe existing baseball and footballfields With a rallying slogan of TheTradition Begins we set out to buildthe finest softball facility in thestate
A parent of one of the players sur-veyed the parcel The bases and fencelines were marked The OrangeCounty School Board supplied theinfield material MacWithey selected
sports TURF bull httpwwwsporsturfonlinecom
a local source with a small amount ofsand in the clay to provide a relative-ly hard infield surface for his power-hitting team
Then the outfield area was sprayedwith glyphosate and tilled Playerswere assigned to remove debris andhand rake the area The areasnative soil is high in sugar sandfine in texture but angular so infil-tration and percolation rates for theoutfield area are good
County personnel and equipmentsupplied the laser grading for thefield Once the infield material wasput in place they established a onepercent slope toward the foul linesand toward the backstop rather thantoward the outfield Rectangulardrains were installed approximatelyevery 6 feet around the side walls inthe concrete behind the backstopThe excess surface water is chan-neled to the backstop and then on tothe drains and even with a typicalFlorida hard rain quickly clears fromthe field
MacWitheys brother manager forCentury Rain Aid a local irrigationsupply company assisted with thedesign the irrigation system andhelped with the initial contact withthe local Rain Bird supplier whodonated Falcon rotors and the sys-tems controller A large constructioncompany donated the necessary PVCpipe and supplies
Next up was an education lesson forour high school girls which we callcareer path elimination Its anincentive to stay in school saysMacWithey We scheduled a workday and the girls on the team alongwith some much appreciatedparental assistance helped dig thetrenches and lay the irrigation pipe
After another round of debrisremoval and more raking the out-field was ready for sod A local sodcompany Duda and Sons was part ofa Lake Apopka area environmental-ly-related land buyout aimed atreclaiming a section of property andturning it into wetlands Theyagreed to supply Tifway 419bermudagrass sod from that propertyfor the softball field at approximately
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
one third of the regular costMacWithey tapped another donor toprovide the use of a semi-truck todeliver the sod
MacWithey says This led to anotherscheduled work day to eliminate onemore career path for our players-sod laying The sod had been stacked
around the infield The playerssome of their friends and anothergroup of parent volunteers placedand fitted the sod We borrowed aroller to finish the job Now the fieldwas taking shape and excitementwas building More donations flowedin as the community as a wholejoined the bandwagon This added
F I V EGREAT REASONS WHYYOU SHOULD CONSIDERBULLS EYE BermudaFOR YOUR NEXTPROJECT
wwwwestcoatturfcom 760 605464 004471 40 FA 760 605616
bull Virtually No S edheadbull Good Shade Tal ranebull Deep Blue Gr en C lorbull Medium Wid Blad F rT xtur Contra t
bull Can B Mow d WithRotary r Re 1
BULLS EYEBermuda
WEST COAST)yTURF
ROWER A 0 I TALLER OFPREMI M Q LlTY 00 0 TOLO
Circle 104 on Inquiry Card
May2001 9
and a concession stand He saysThis became reality with donatedconcrete blocks a volunteer blockmason the supervision of a parentwho held a contractors license andof course the help of our players whodecided to eliminate the concreteand masonry career path
At that point a local Junior Collegewas eliminating their athletic pro-grams and soliciting bids for theirfield items and used equipment Wedidnt get the bid on the large alu-minum bleachers I had wanted Butwith our $250 bid for miscellaneoussports equipment the only bidreceived we got two more sets ofwoodsteel bleachers lockers electricwater coolers for the dugouts flag-pole and flag batting cage nets pro-tective net stands a picnic tablelighting fixtures and even a 2-footby 4-foot granite rock to mark theentrance to our complex
Mike MacWithey (right) head groundskeeper and softball coach at Apopka High School acceptsthe Field of the Year Award from STMA President Rich Moffitt
list MacWithey developed a designfor a 20-foot by 50-foot concretestructure on the home team side thatwould include that dugout an areafor storage a locker room an office
windscreen for the outfield fencewelders for an old set of bleachers aPA system the scoreboard and treesfor the landscapeDugouts were next on the project
Lights were the next step Becauseso much of the complex was builtwithout cost to the School System
AirfieldtradeJaydee Drive Liner
The Airfieldtrade Sports Turf System is the first to offer drainagetechnology that doesnt rely on the French drain developed in thetimes of the Roman Empire Airfieldtrade suspends the entire play-ing surface over a layer of air Once water has moved through theroot-zone it drains away easily in the open-air voidAlrfield produces substantially higher drainage rates than
conventional methods at a savings of 20 percent of total con-struction cost
We have taken athletic fields out of the stone age
The[aydee DriveLiner is a self-propelled riding line marker The35-gallon paint tank carries enough marking material for acomplete game field or several practice fields The 2-gallon flushtank cleans the discharge lines for work breaks travel orovernight The center or side-mark spray shields are alwaysoperator-visible A nearly zero turning radius reduces or elimi-nate back and turn maneuvers
Jaydee Equipment Company202 East Joliet Highway Box 278
New lenox Il 60451-0278TOll FREE 1-800-443-3268
jaydeetherampnet bull wwwjaYdeeeqcocom
~ I I amp 4~ t iIJ J- I ~ J bull fT
AIRFIELDGeoturf LLC1-888-287 -9657
wwwgeoturfairfieldcom
Circle 105 on Inquiry CardCircle 106 on Inquiry Card
10 May 2001 sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsfurfonlinecom
the School Board determined theycould install and pay for the Muscolighting system
MacWithey says Our complex nowhas a seating capacity of 250 withplenty of standing room and chairlocations The facility is fully lightedand includes bullpen areas on bothsides of the field and ample warm-upareas away from spectators We havean additional fence that surroundsthe spectator warm-up batting cageareas to keep things safe and secureOur concession stand is fullyequipped with an icemaker refrigera-torfreezer gas grill area and customcabinets-all donated of courseFunds from admission charges andconcession stand revenues approxi-mately $10000 annually areretained for the high school softballprogram
Once the facility was completed thesoftball field began its marathon ofnear-constant use All of the teamspractice on the field daily during the
playing season Slow-pitch softballstarts in August and runs intoOctober In November the teamsbegin conditioning drills for the fast-pitch softball season that runs from
January into May
During the summer the field hostssummer league games and youth prac-tices and clinics It also has hosted
bull Earlier spring green-upbull Faster seed germination
bull Deeper root developmentbull Delays dormancy in fall
bull Ideal winter blanketbull Best for quick turf repairs
bull Available in any sizebull 3 or 7 year warranty covers
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
EVERGREEN IS GREATFOR BASEBALL FIELDS
~~
Circle 107 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 13
County personnel used laser-grading equipment to establish a one percent slope toward the toullines and toward the backstop
The complex has a seating capacity at 250 with plenty at standing room and chair locations
14 May 2001 sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
some college tournaments and a collegespring training session that puts 10games on the field within a week
The fields only down time is thetwo-week interval during Christmasbreak and the month-long breakbetween the October end of slow-pitch ball and the mid-Novemberbeginning of the fast-pitch season
Apopka is one of the 12 high schoolswithin the Orange County PublicSchools Metro Conference Two morehigh schools will open next year TheApopka field will host the DistrictTournament in 2001 This is the thirdtime in five years the field has beenawarded this honor The site is chosenannually by a vote of the local coacheson the best facility
The growing fast-pitch softball pro-gram can draw enough participantsto form freshman junior varsityand varsity teams In 2000 therewere 18 girls on the slow-pitchteam 13 girls on the freshman fast-pitch team 17 on the Junior Varsityfast-pitch team and 15 on Varsityfast-pitch team With so muchactivity scheduling field timebecomes complicated Practicetimes for the three teams can over-lap so the hitting stations and teeareas will be used independently ofthe defensive field practices Toalleviate this situation plans areunderway to construct an addition-al batting cage and a practiceinfield by the end of the 20012002school year
MacWithey says The high volumeof usage in the spring is the biggestobstacle in maintaining the field inoptimum condition To alleviate thestress on the bermudagrass werotate practice sites to minimize thetraffic We also have a few foamdiscs similar to carpet padding thatcan be placed in certain high trafficareas During tournaments the sec-tion of turf behind first base at thefoul line (where the umpire stands)is covered with a patch of greenindooroutdoor carpet Ill alsosyringe high traffic areas by handduring the heat of the day to reduceturf stress
We installed clay bricks in front of
sports TURF bull hffpllwwwsportsfurfonlinecom
the pitching rubber and in the bat-ters box prior to the start of thisseason says MacWithey In thepast wed have pitchers dig a 6- to8-inch trench during the course ofthe game that needed post-gamerepair You cant just drag the clayover holes like that Though thebricks took about three hours to
install theyre saving us 15 to 20minutes per day in post-gamemaintenance
The County contracts fertilizationand pest control to a grounds ser-vice company Since MacWitheyspends at least three hours on fieldmaintenance daily he works with
Circle 108 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 15
16 May 2001
the company service technicians toidentify field problems and developsolutions Effective control of molecrickets the areas most naggingpest problem is just one example ofthe benefits of this relationship
Inconsistent Florida rainfall requiresconstant monitoring and irrigationsystem adjustment to fit rainfallamounts and evapotranspirationrates The fields only rainout of ascheduled game in four yearsoccurred last fall due to pouring rainon game day
Generally the irrigation system is setfor a 30-minute per zone heavy-watering cyclebefore daybreak everyother day A IO-minute per zonelight-watering cycle is programmedfor the end of field use each day
The infield dirt is watered downbefore and after each game Most ofthe infield area can be covered by the
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsfurfonlinecom
large irrigation nozzle positioned justbehind the pitching rubber A quickcoupling outlet at each dugout can beequipped with an impact head orwith a hose and nozzle to hand waterbehind the plate and any areasmissed by the center rotor
All of MacWitheys coaching fieldmaintenance and donor solicitationare possible because of his decisionto devote the time to the game heloves Rather than pursuing acareer using his degree in electricalengineering from the University ofCentral Florida he decided todevelop his own business as anindependent newspaper deliveryagent for the flexibility it affordedhim The success of the softballprogram along with the support ofthe players parents SchoolSystem and community show thiswas the right choice for him That2000 STMA Field of the Year signposted under the softball fieldscoreboard is further affirmation
Steve and Suz Trusty are partners inTrusty amp Associates of Council BluffsIowa Steve is Executive Director ofthe Sports Turf Managers Association
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
lRU MARKIntroducing the next generation of athletic field markers
See us at wwwtrumarkafmcom1-800-553-6275
Circle 109 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 17
a local source with a small amount ofsand in the clay to provide a relative-ly hard infield surface for his power-hitting team
Then the outfield area was sprayedwith glyphosate and tilled Playerswere assigned to remove debris andhand rake the area The areasnative soil is high in sugar sandfine in texture but angular so infil-tration and percolation rates for theoutfield area are good
County personnel and equipmentsupplied the laser grading for thefield Once the infield material wasput in place they established a onepercent slope toward the foul linesand toward the backstop rather thantoward the outfield Rectangulardrains were installed approximatelyevery 6 feet around the side walls inthe concrete behind the backstopThe excess surface water is chan-neled to the backstop and then on tothe drains and even with a typicalFlorida hard rain quickly clears fromthe field
MacWitheys brother manager forCentury Rain Aid a local irrigationsupply company assisted with thedesign the irrigation system andhelped with the initial contact withthe local Rain Bird supplier whodonated Falcon rotors and the sys-tems controller A large constructioncompany donated the necessary PVCpipe and supplies
Next up was an education lesson forour high school girls which we callcareer path elimination Its anincentive to stay in school saysMacWithey We scheduled a workday and the girls on the team alongwith some much appreciatedparental assistance helped dig thetrenches and lay the irrigation pipe
After another round of debrisremoval and more raking the out-field was ready for sod A local sodcompany Duda and Sons was part ofa Lake Apopka area environmental-ly-related land buyout aimed atreclaiming a section of property andturning it into wetlands Theyagreed to supply Tifway 419bermudagrass sod from that propertyfor the softball field at approximately
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
one third of the regular costMacWithey tapped another donor toprovide the use of a semi-truck todeliver the sod
MacWithey says This led to anotherscheduled work day to eliminate onemore career path for our players-sod laying The sod had been stacked
around the infield The playerssome of their friends and anothergroup of parent volunteers placedand fitted the sod We borrowed aroller to finish the job Now the fieldwas taking shape and excitementwas building More donations flowedin as the community as a wholejoined the bandwagon This added
F I V EGREAT REASONS WHYYOU SHOULD CONSIDERBULLS EYE BermudaFOR YOUR NEXTPROJECT
wwwwestcoatturfcom 760 605464 004471 40 FA 760 605616
bull Virtually No S edheadbull Good Shade Tal ranebull Deep Blue Gr en C lorbull Medium Wid Blad F rT xtur Contra t
bull Can B Mow d WithRotary r Re 1
BULLS EYEBermuda
WEST COAST)yTURF
ROWER A 0 I TALLER OFPREMI M Q LlTY 00 0 TOLO
Circle 104 on Inquiry Card
May2001 9
and a concession stand He saysThis became reality with donatedconcrete blocks a volunteer blockmason the supervision of a parentwho held a contractors license andof course the help of our players whodecided to eliminate the concreteand masonry career path
At that point a local Junior Collegewas eliminating their athletic pro-grams and soliciting bids for theirfield items and used equipment Wedidnt get the bid on the large alu-minum bleachers I had wanted Butwith our $250 bid for miscellaneoussports equipment the only bidreceived we got two more sets ofwoodsteel bleachers lockers electricwater coolers for the dugouts flag-pole and flag batting cage nets pro-tective net stands a picnic tablelighting fixtures and even a 2-footby 4-foot granite rock to mark theentrance to our complex
Mike MacWithey (right) head groundskeeper and softball coach at Apopka High School acceptsthe Field of the Year Award from STMA President Rich Moffitt
list MacWithey developed a designfor a 20-foot by 50-foot concretestructure on the home team side thatwould include that dugout an areafor storage a locker room an office
windscreen for the outfield fencewelders for an old set of bleachers aPA system the scoreboard and treesfor the landscapeDugouts were next on the project
Lights were the next step Becauseso much of the complex was builtwithout cost to the School System
AirfieldtradeJaydee Drive Liner
The Airfieldtrade Sports Turf System is the first to offer drainagetechnology that doesnt rely on the French drain developed in thetimes of the Roman Empire Airfieldtrade suspends the entire play-ing surface over a layer of air Once water has moved through theroot-zone it drains away easily in the open-air voidAlrfield produces substantially higher drainage rates than
conventional methods at a savings of 20 percent of total con-struction cost
We have taken athletic fields out of the stone age
The[aydee DriveLiner is a self-propelled riding line marker The35-gallon paint tank carries enough marking material for acomplete game field or several practice fields The 2-gallon flushtank cleans the discharge lines for work breaks travel orovernight The center or side-mark spray shields are alwaysoperator-visible A nearly zero turning radius reduces or elimi-nate back and turn maneuvers
Jaydee Equipment Company202 East Joliet Highway Box 278
New lenox Il 60451-0278TOll FREE 1-800-443-3268
jaydeetherampnet bull wwwjaYdeeeqcocom
~ I I amp 4~ t iIJ J- I ~ J bull fT
AIRFIELDGeoturf LLC1-888-287 -9657
wwwgeoturfairfieldcom
Circle 105 on Inquiry CardCircle 106 on Inquiry Card
10 May 2001 sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsfurfonlinecom
the School Board determined theycould install and pay for the Muscolighting system
MacWithey says Our complex nowhas a seating capacity of 250 withplenty of standing room and chairlocations The facility is fully lightedand includes bullpen areas on bothsides of the field and ample warm-upareas away from spectators We havean additional fence that surroundsthe spectator warm-up batting cageareas to keep things safe and secureOur concession stand is fullyequipped with an icemaker refrigera-torfreezer gas grill area and customcabinets-all donated of courseFunds from admission charges andconcession stand revenues approxi-mately $10000 annually areretained for the high school softballprogram
Once the facility was completed thesoftball field began its marathon ofnear-constant use All of the teamspractice on the field daily during the
playing season Slow-pitch softballstarts in August and runs intoOctober In November the teamsbegin conditioning drills for the fast-pitch softball season that runs from
January into May
During the summer the field hostssummer league games and youth prac-tices and clinics It also has hosted
bull Earlier spring green-upbull Faster seed germination
bull Deeper root developmentbull Delays dormancy in fall
bull Ideal winter blanketbull Best for quick turf repairs
bull Available in any sizebull 3 or 7 year warranty covers
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
EVERGREEN IS GREATFOR BASEBALL FIELDS
~~
Circle 107 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 13
County personnel used laser-grading equipment to establish a one percent slope toward the toullines and toward the backstop
The complex has a seating capacity at 250 with plenty at standing room and chair locations
14 May 2001 sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
some college tournaments and a collegespring training session that puts 10games on the field within a week
The fields only down time is thetwo-week interval during Christmasbreak and the month-long breakbetween the October end of slow-pitch ball and the mid-Novemberbeginning of the fast-pitch season
Apopka is one of the 12 high schoolswithin the Orange County PublicSchools Metro Conference Two morehigh schools will open next year TheApopka field will host the DistrictTournament in 2001 This is the thirdtime in five years the field has beenawarded this honor The site is chosenannually by a vote of the local coacheson the best facility
The growing fast-pitch softball pro-gram can draw enough participantsto form freshman junior varsityand varsity teams In 2000 therewere 18 girls on the slow-pitchteam 13 girls on the freshman fast-pitch team 17 on the Junior Varsityfast-pitch team and 15 on Varsityfast-pitch team With so muchactivity scheduling field timebecomes complicated Practicetimes for the three teams can over-lap so the hitting stations and teeareas will be used independently ofthe defensive field practices Toalleviate this situation plans areunderway to construct an addition-al batting cage and a practiceinfield by the end of the 20012002school year
MacWithey says The high volumeof usage in the spring is the biggestobstacle in maintaining the field inoptimum condition To alleviate thestress on the bermudagrass werotate practice sites to minimize thetraffic We also have a few foamdiscs similar to carpet padding thatcan be placed in certain high trafficareas During tournaments the sec-tion of turf behind first base at thefoul line (where the umpire stands)is covered with a patch of greenindooroutdoor carpet Ill alsosyringe high traffic areas by handduring the heat of the day to reduceturf stress
We installed clay bricks in front of
sports TURF bull hffpllwwwsportsfurfonlinecom
the pitching rubber and in the bat-ters box prior to the start of thisseason says MacWithey In thepast wed have pitchers dig a 6- to8-inch trench during the course ofthe game that needed post-gamerepair You cant just drag the clayover holes like that Though thebricks took about three hours to
install theyre saving us 15 to 20minutes per day in post-gamemaintenance
The County contracts fertilizationand pest control to a grounds ser-vice company Since MacWitheyspends at least three hours on fieldmaintenance daily he works with
Circle 108 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 15
16 May 2001
the company service technicians toidentify field problems and developsolutions Effective control of molecrickets the areas most naggingpest problem is just one example ofthe benefits of this relationship
Inconsistent Florida rainfall requiresconstant monitoring and irrigationsystem adjustment to fit rainfallamounts and evapotranspirationrates The fields only rainout of ascheduled game in four yearsoccurred last fall due to pouring rainon game day
Generally the irrigation system is setfor a 30-minute per zone heavy-watering cyclebefore daybreak everyother day A IO-minute per zonelight-watering cycle is programmedfor the end of field use each day
The infield dirt is watered downbefore and after each game Most ofthe infield area can be covered by the
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsfurfonlinecom
large irrigation nozzle positioned justbehind the pitching rubber A quickcoupling outlet at each dugout can beequipped with an impact head orwith a hose and nozzle to hand waterbehind the plate and any areasmissed by the center rotor
All of MacWitheys coaching fieldmaintenance and donor solicitationare possible because of his decisionto devote the time to the game heloves Rather than pursuing acareer using his degree in electricalengineering from the University ofCentral Florida he decided todevelop his own business as anindependent newspaper deliveryagent for the flexibility it affordedhim The success of the softballprogram along with the support ofthe players parents SchoolSystem and community show thiswas the right choice for him That2000 STMA Field of the Year signposted under the softball fieldscoreboard is further affirmation
Steve and Suz Trusty are partners inTrusty amp Associates of Council BluffsIowa Steve is Executive Director ofthe Sports Turf Managers Association
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
lRU MARKIntroducing the next generation of athletic field markers
See us at wwwtrumarkafmcom1-800-553-6275
Circle 109 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 17
and a concession stand He saysThis became reality with donatedconcrete blocks a volunteer blockmason the supervision of a parentwho held a contractors license andof course the help of our players whodecided to eliminate the concreteand masonry career path
At that point a local Junior Collegewas eliminating their athletic pro-grams and soliciting bids for theirfield items and used equipment Wedidnt get the bid on the large alu-minum bleachers I had wanted Butwith our $250 bid for miscellaneoussports equipment the only bidreceived we got two more sets ofwoodsteel bleachers lockers electricwater coolers for the dugouts flag-pole and flag batting cage nets pro-tective net stands a picnic tablelighting fixtures and even a 2-footby 4-foot granite rock to mark theentrance to our complex
Mike MacWithey (right) head groundskeeper and softball coach at Apopka High School acceptsthe Field of the Year Award from STMA President Rich Moffitt
list MacWithey developed a designfor a 20-foot by 50-foot concretestructure on the home team side thatwould include that dugout an areafor storage a locker room an office
windscreen for the outfield fencewelders for an old set of bleachers aPA system the scoreboard and treesfor the landscapeDugouts were next on the project
Lights were the next step Becauseso much of the complex was builtwithout cost to the School System
AirfieldtradeJaydee Drive Liner
The Airfieldtrade Sports Turf System is the first to offer drainagetechnology that doesnt rely on the French drain developed in thetimes of the Roman Empire Airfieldtrade suspends the entire play-ing surface over a layer of air Once water has moved through theroot-zone it drains away easily in the open-air voidAlrfield produces substantially higher drainage rates than
conventional methods at a savings of 20 percent of total con-struction cost
We have taken athletic fields out of the stone age
The[aydee DriveLiner is a self-propelled riding line marker The35-gallon paint tank carries enough marking material for acomplete game field or several practice fields The 2-gallon flushtank cleans the discharge lines for work breaks travel orovernight The center or side-mark spray shields are alwaysoperator-visible A nearly zero turning radius reduces or elimi-nate back and turn maneuvers
Jaydee Equipment Company202 East Joliet Highway Box 278
New lenox Il 60451-0278TOll FREE 1-800-443-3268
jaydeetherampnet bull wwwjaYdeeeqcocom
~ I I amp 4~ t iIJ J- I ~ J bull fT
AIRFIELDGeoturf LLC1-888-287 -9657
wwwgeoturfairfieldcom
Circle 105 on Inquiry CardCircle 106 on Inquiry Card
10 May 2001 sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsfurfonlinecom
the School Board determined theycould install and pay for the Muscolighting system
MacWithey says Our complex nowhas a seating capacity of 250 withplenty of standing room and chairlocations The facility is fully lightedand includes bullpen areas on bothsides of the field and ample warm-upareas away from spectators We havean additional fence that surroundsthe spectator warm-up batting cageareas to keep things safe and secureOur concession stand is fullyequipped with an icemaker refrigera-torfreezer gas grill area and customcabinets-all donated of courseFunds from admission charges andconcession stand revenues approxi-mately $10000 annually areretained for the high school softballprogram
Once the facility was completed thesoftball field began its marathon ofnear-constant use All of the teamspractice on the field daily during the
playing season Slow-pitch softballstarts in August and runs intoOctober In November the teamsbegin conditioning drills for the fast-pitch softball season that runs from
January into May
During the summer the field hostssummer league games and youth prac-tices and clinics It also has hosted
bull Earlier spring green-upbull Faster seed germination
bull Deeper root developmentbull Delays dormancy in fall
bull Ideal winter blanketbull Best for quick turf repairs
bull Available in any sizebull 3 or 7 year warranty covers
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
EVERGREEN IS GREATFOR BASEBALL FIELDS
~~
Circle 107 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 13
County personnel used laser-grading equipment to establish a one percent slope toward the toullines and toward the backstop
The complex has a seating capacity at 250 with plenty at standing room and chair locations
14 May 2001 sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
some college tournaments and a collegespring training session that puts 10games on the field within a week
The fields only down time is thetwo-week interval during Christmasbreak and the month-long breakbetween the October end of slow-pitch ball and the mid-Novemberbeginning of the fast-pitch season
Apopka is one of the 12 high schoolswithin the Orange County PublicSchools Metro Conference Two morehigh schools will open next year TheApopka field will host the DistrictTournament in 2001 This is the thirdtime in five years the field has beenawarded this honor The site is chosenannually by a vote of the local coacheson the best facility
The growing fast-pitch softball pro-gram can draw enough participantsto form freshman junior varsityand varsity teams In 2000 therewere 18 girls on the slow-pitchteam 13 girls on the freshman fast-pitch team 17 on the Junior Varsityfast-pitch team and 15 on Varsityfast-pitch team With so muchactivity scheduling field timebecomes complicated Practicetimes for the three teams can over-lap so the hitting stations and teeareas will be used independently ofthe defensive field practices Toalleviate this situation plans areunderway to construct an addition-al batting cage and a practiceinfield by the end of the 20012002school year
MacWithey says The high volumeof usage in the spring is the biggestobstacle in maintaining the field inoptimum condition To alleviate thestress on the bermudagrass werotate practice sites to minimize thetraffic We also have a few foamdiscs similar to carpet padding thatcan be placed in certain high trafficareas During tournaments the sec-tion of turf behind first base at thefoul line (where the umpire stands)is covered with a patch of greenindooroutdoor carpet Ill alsosyringe high traffic areas by handduring the heat of the day to reduceturf stress
We installed clay bricks in front of
sports TURF bull hffpllwwwsportsfurfonlinecom
the pitching rubber and in the bat-ters box prior to the start of thisseason says MacWithey In thepast wed have pitchers dig a 6- to8-inch trench during the course ofthe game that needed post-gamerepair You cant just drag the clayover holes like that Though thebricks took about three hours to
install theyre saving us 15 to 20minutes per day in post-gamemaintenance
The County contracts fertilizationand pest control to a grounds ser-vice company Since MacWitheyspends at least three hours on fieldmaintenance daily he works with
Circle 108 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 15
16 May 2001
the company service technicians toidentify field problems and developsolutions Effective control of molecrickets the areas most naggingpest problem is just one example ofthe benefits of this relationship
Inconsistent Florida rainfall requiresconstant monitoring and irrigationsystem adjustment to fit rainfallamounts and evapotranspirationrates The fields only rainout of ascheduled game in four yearsoccurred last fall due to pouring rainon game day
Generally the irrigation system is setfor a 30-minute per zone heavy-watering cyclebefore daybreak everyother day A IO-minute per zonelight-watering cycle is programmedfor the end of field use each day
The infield dirt is watered downbefore and after each game Most ofthe infield area can be covered by the
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsfurfonlinecom
large irrigation nozzle positioned justbehind the pitching rubber A quickcoupling outlet at each dugout can beequipped with an impact head orwith a hose and nozzle to hand waterbehind the plate and any areasmissed by the center rotor
All of MacWitheys coaching fieldmaintenance and donor solicitationare possible because of his decisionto devote the time to the game heloves Rather than pursuing acareer using his degree in electricalengineering from the University ofCentral Florida he decided todevelop his own business as anindependent newspaper deliveryagent for the flexibility it affordedhim The success of the softballprogram along with the support ofthe players parents SchoolSystem and community show thiswas the right choice for him That2000 STMA Field of the Year signposted under the softball fieldscoreboard is further affirmation
Steve and Suz Trusty are partners inTrusty amp Associates of Council BluffsIowa Steve is Executive Director ofthe Sports Turf Managers Association
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
lRU MARKIntroducing the next generation of athletic field markers
See us at wwwtrumarkafmcom1-800-553-6275
Circle 109 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 17
the School Board determined theycould install and pay for the Muscolighting system
MacWithey says Our complex nowhas a seating capacity of 250 withplenty of standing room and chairlocations The facility is fully lightedand includes bullpen areas on bothsides of the field and ample warm-upareas away from spectators We havean additional fence that surroundsthe spectator warm-up batting cageareas to keep things safe and secureOur concession stand is fullyequipped with an icemaker refrigera-torfreezer gas grill area and customcabinets-all donated of courseFunds from admission charges andconcession stand revenues approxi-mately $10000 annually areretained for the high school softballprogram
Once the facility was completed thesoftball field began its marathon ofnear-constant use All of the teamspractice on the field daily during the
playing season Slow-pitch softballstarts in August and runs intoOctober In November the teamsbegin conditioning drills for the fast-pitch softball season that runs from
January into May
During the summer the field hostssummer league games and youth prac-tices and clinics It also has hosted
bull Earlier spring green-upbull Faster seed germination
bull Deeper root developmentbull Delays dormancy in fall
bull Ideal winter blanketbull Best for quick turf repairs
bull Available in any sizebull 3 or 7 year warranty covers
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
EVERGREEN IS GREATFOR BASEBALL FIELDS
~~
Circle 107 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 13
County personnel used laser-grading equipment to establish a one percent slope toward the toullines and toward the backstop
The complex has a seating capacity at 250 with plenty at standing room and chair locations
14 May 2001 sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
some college tournaments and a collegespring training session that puts 10games on the field within a week
The fields only down time is thetwo-week interval during Christmasbreak and the month-long breakbetween the October end of slow-pitch ball and the mid-Novemberbeginning of the fast-pitch season
Apopka is one of the 12 high schoolswithin the Orange County PublicSchools Metro Conference Two morehigh schools will open next year TheApopka field will host the DistrictTournament in 2001 This is the thirdtime in five years the field has beenawarded this honor The site is chosenannually by a vote of the local coacheson the best facility
The growing fast-pitch softball pro-gram can draw enough participantsto form freshman junior varsityand varsity teams In 2000 therewere 18 girls on the slow-pitchteam 13 girls on the freshman fast-pitch team 17 on the Junior Varsityfast-pitch team and 15 on Varsityfast-pitch team With so muchactivity scheduling field timebecomes complicated Practicetimes for the three teams can over-lap so the hitting stations and teeareas will be used independently ofthe defensive field practices Toalleviate this situation plans areunderway to construct an addition-al batting cage and a practiceinfield by the end of the 20012002school year
MacWithey says The high volumeof usage in the spring is the biggestobstacle in maintaining the field inoptimum condition To alleviate thestress on the bermudagrass werotate practice sites to minimize thetraffic We also have a few foamdiscs similar to carpet padding thatcan be placed in certain high trafficareas During tournaments the sec-tion of turf behind first base at thefoul line (where the umpire stands)is covered with a patch of greenindooroutdoor carpet Ill alsosyringe high traffic areas by handduring the heat of the day to reduceturf stress
We installed clay bricks in front of
sports TURF bull hffpllwwwsportsfurfonlinecom
the pitching rubber and in the bat-ters box prior to the start of thisseason says MacWithey In thepast wed have pitchers dig a 6- to8-inch trench during the course ofthe game that needed post-gamerepair You cant just drag the clayover holes like that Though thebricks took about three hours to
install theyre saving us 15 to 20minutes per day in post-gamemaintenance
The County contracts fertilizationand pest control to a grounds ser-vice company Since MacWitheyspends at least three hours on fieldmaintenance daily he works with
Circle 108 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 15
16 May 2001
the company service technicians toidentify field problems and developsolutions Effective control of molecrickets the areas most naggingpest problem is just one example ofthe benefits of this relationship
Inconsistent Florida rainfall requiresconstant monitoring and irrigationsystem adjustment to fit rainfallamounts and evapotranspirationrates The fields only rainout of ascheduled game in four yearsoccurred last fall due to pouring rainon game day
Generally the irrigation system is setfor a 30-minute per zone heavy-watering cyclebefore daybreak everyother day A IO-minute per zonelight-watering cycle is programmedfor the end of field use each day
The infield dirt is watered downbefore and after each game Most ofthe infield area can be covered by the
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsfurfonlinecom
large irrigation nozzle positioned justbehind the pitching rubber A quickcoupling outlet at each dugout can beequipped with an impact head orwith a hose and nozzle to hand waterbehind the plate and any areasmissed by the center rotor
All of MacWitheys coaching fieldmaintenance and donor solicitationare possible because of his decisionto devote the time to the game heloves Rather than pursuing acareer using his degree in electricalengineering from the University ofCentral Florida he decided todevelop his own business as anindependent newspaper deliveryagent for the flexibility it affordedhim The success of the softballprogram along with the support ofthe players parents SchoolSystem and community show thiswas the right choice for him That2000 STMA Field of the Year signposted under the softball fieldscoreboard is further affirmation
Steve and Suz Trusty are partners inTrusty amp Associates of Council BluffsIowa Steve is Executive Director ofthe Sports Turf Managers Association
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
lRU MARKIntroducing the next generation of athletic field markers
See us at wwwtrumarkafmcom1-800-553-6275
Circle 109 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 17
County personnel used laser-grading equipment to establish a one percent slope toward the toullines and toward the backstop
The complex has a seating capacity at 250 with plenty at standing room and chair locations
14 May 2001 sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
some college tournaments and a collegespring training session that puts 10games on the field within a week
The fields only down time is thetwo-week interval during Christmasbreak and the month-long breakbetween the October end of slow-pitch ball and the mid-Novemberbeginning of the fast-pitch season
Apopka is one of the 12 high schoolswithin the Orange County PublicSchools Metro Conference Two morehigh schools will open next year TheApopka field will host the DistrictTournament in 2001 This is the thirdtime in five years the field has beenawarded this honor The site is chosenannually by a vote of the local coacheson the best facility
The growing fast-pitch softball pro-gram can draw enough participantsto form freshman junior varsityand varsity teams In 2000 therewere 18 girls on the slow-pitchteam 13 girls on the freshman fast-pitch team 17 on the Junior Varsityfast-pitch team and 15 on Varsityfast-pitch team With so muchactivity scheduling field timebecomes complicated Practicetimes for the three teams can over-lap so the hitting stations and teeareas will be used independently ofthe defensive field practices Toalleviate this situation plans areunderway to construct an addition-al batting cage and a practiceinfield by the end of the 20012002school year
MacWithey says The high volumeof usage in the spring is the biggestobstacle in maintaining the field inoptimum condition To alleviate thestress on the bermudagrass werotate practice sites to minimize thetraffic We also have a few foamdiscs similar to carpet padding thatcan be placed in certain high trafficareas During tournaments the sec-tion of turf behind first base at thefoul line (where the umpire stands)is covered with a patch of greenindooroutdoor carpet Ill alsosyringe high traffic areas by handduring the heat of the day to reduceturf stress
We installed clay bricks in front of
sports TURF bull hffpllwwwsportsfurfonlinecom
the pitching rubber and in the bat-ters box prior to the start of thisseason says MacWithey In thepast wed have pitchers dig a 6- to8-inch trench during the course ofthe game that needed post-gamerepair You cant just drag the clayover holes like that Though thebricks took about three hours to
install theyre saving us 15 to 20minutes per day in post-gamemaintenance
The County contracts fertilizationand pest control to a grounds ser-vice company Since MacWitheyspends at least three hours on fieldmaintenance daily he works with
Circle 108 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 15
16 May 2001
the company service technicians toidentify field problems and developsolutions Effective control of molecrickets the areas most naggingpest problem is just one example ofthe benefits of this relationship
Inconsistent Florida rainfall requiresconstant monitoring and irrigationsystem adjustment to fit rainfallamounts and evapotranspirationrates The fields only rainout of ascheduled game in four yearsoccurred last fall due to pouring rainon game day
Generally the irrigation system is setfor a 30-minute per zone heavy-watering cyclebefore daybreak everyother day A IO-minute per zonelight-watering cycle is programmedfor the end of field use each day
The infield dirt is watered downbefore and after each game Most ofthe infield area can be covered by the
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsfurfonlinecom
large irrigation nozzle positioned justbehind the pitching rubber A quickcoupling outlet at each dugout can beequipped with an impact head orwith a hose and nozzle to hand waterbehind the plate and any areasmissed by the center rotor
All of MacWitheys coaching fieldmaintenance and donor solicitationare possible because of his decisionto devote the time to the game heloves Rather than pursuing acareer using his degree in electricalengineering from the University ofCentral Florida he decided todevelop his own business as anindependent newspaper deliveryagent for the flexibility it affordedhim The success of the softballprogram along with the support ofthe players parents SchoolSystem and community show thiswas the right choice for him That2000 STMA Field of the Year signposted under the softball fieldscoreboard is further affirmation
Steve and Suz Trusty are partners inTrusty amp Associates of Council BluffsIowa Steve is Executive Director ofthe Sports Turf Managers Association
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
lRU MARKIntroducing the next generation of athletic field markers
See us at wwwtrumarkafmcom1-800-553-6275
Circle 109 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 17
some college tournaments and a collegespring training session that puts 10games on the field within a week
The fields only down time is thetwo-week interval during Christmasbreak and the month-long breakbetween the October end of slow-pitch ball and the mid-Novemberbeginning of the fast-pitch season
Apopka is one of the 12 high schoolswithin the Orange County PublicSchools Metro Conference Two morehigh schools will open next year TheApopka field will host the DistrictTournament in 2001 This is the thirdtime in five years the field has beenawarded this honor The site is chosenannually by a vote of the local coacheson the best facility
The growing fast-pitch softball pro-gram can draw enough participantsto form freshman junior varsityand varsity teams In 2000 therewere 18 girls on the slow-pitchteam 13 girls on the freshman fast-pitch team 17 on the Junior Varsityfast-pitch team and 15 on Varsityfast-pitch team With so muchactivity scheduling field timebecomes complicated Practicetimes for the three teams can over-lap so the hitting stations and teeareas will be used independently ofthe defensive field practices Toalleviate this situation plans areunderway to construct an addition-al batting cage and a practiceinfield by the end of the 20012002school year
MacWithey says The high volumeof usage in the spring is the biggestobstacle in maintaining the field inoptimum condition To alleviate thestress on the bermudagrass werotate practice sites to minimize thetraffic We also have a few foamdiscs similar to carpet padding thatcan be placed in certain high trafficareas During tournaments the sec-tion of turf behind first base at thefoul line (where the umpire stands)is covered with a patch of greenindooroutdoor carpet Ill alsosyringe high traffic areas by handduring the heat of the day to reduceturf stress
We installed clay bricks in front of
sports TURF bull hffpllwwwsportsfurfonlinecom
the pitching rubber and in the bat-ters box prior to the start of thisseason says MacWithey In thepast wed have pitchers dig a 6- to8-inch trench during the course ofthe game that needed post-gamerepair You cant just drag the clayover holes like that Though thebricks took about three hours to
install theyre saving us 15 to 20minutes per day in post-gamemaintenance
The County contracts fertilizationand pest control to a grounds ser-vice company Since MacWitheyspends at least three hours on fieldmaintenance daily he works with
Circle 108 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 15
16 May 2001
the company service technicians toidentify field problems and developsolutions Effective control of molecrickets the areas most naggingpest problem is just one example ofthe benefits of this relationship
Inconsistent Florida rainfall requiresconstant monitoring and irrigationsystem adjustment to fit rainfallamounts and evapotranspirationrates The fields only rainout of ascheduled game in four yearsoccurred last fall due to pouring rainon game day
Generally the irrigation system is setfor a 30-minute per zone heavy-watering cyclebefore daybreak everyother day A IO-minute per zonelight-watering cycle is programmedfor the end of field use each day
The infield dirt is watered downbefore and after each game Most ofthe infield area can be covered by the
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsfurfonlinecom
large irrigation nozzle positioned justbehind the pitching rubber A quickcoupling outlet at each dugout can beequipped with an impact head orwith a hose and nozzle to hand waterbehind the plate and any areasmissed by the center rotor
All of MacWitheys coaching fieldmaintenance and donor solicitationare possible because of his decisionto devote the time to the game heloves Rather than pursuing acareer using his degree in electricalengineering from the University ofCentral Florida he decided todevelop his own business as anindependent newspaper deliveryagent for the flexibility it affordedhim The success of the softballprogram along with the support ofthe players parents SchoolSystem and community show thiswas the right choice for him That2000 STMA Field of the Year signposted under the softball fieldscoreboard is further affirmation
Steve and Suz Trusty are partners inTrusty amp Associates of Council BluffsIowa Steve is Executive Director ofthe Sports Turf Managers Association
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
lRU MARKIntroducing the next generation of athletic field markers
See us at wwwtrumarkafmcom1-800-553-6275
Circle 109 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 17
16 May 2001
the company service technicians toidentify field problems and developsolutions Effective control of molecrickets the areas most naggingpest problem is just one example ofthe benefits of this relationship
Inconsistent Florida rainfall requiresconstant monitoring and irrigationsystem adjustment to fit rainfallamounts and evapotranspirationrates The fields only rainout of ascheduled game in four yearsoccurred last fall due to pouring rainon game day
Generally the irrigation system is setfor a 30-minute per zone heavy-watering cyclebefore daybreak everyother day A IO-minute per zonelight-watering cycle is programmedfor the end of field use each day
The infield dirt is watered downbefore and after each game Most ofthe infield area can be covered by the
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsfurfonlinecom
large irrigation nozzle positioned justbehind the pitching rubber A quickcoupling outlet at each dugout can beequipped with an impact head orwith a hose and nozzle to hand waterbehind the plate and any areasmissed by the center rotor
All of MacWitheys coaching fieldmaintenance and donor solicitationare possible because of his decisionto devote the time to the game heloves Rather than pursuing acareer using his degree in electricalengineering from the University ofCentral Florida he decided todevelop his own business as anindependent newspaper deliveryagent for the flexibility it affordedhim The success of the softballprogram along with the support ofthe players parents SchoolSystem and community show thiswas the right choice for him That2000 STMA Field of the Year signposted under the softball fieldscoreboard is further affirmation
Steve and Suz Trusty are partners inTrusty amp Associates of Council BluffsIowa Steve is Executive Director ofthe Sports Turf Managers Association
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
lRU MARKIntroducing the next generation of athletic field markers
See us at wwwtrumarkafmcom1-800-553-6275
Circle 109 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 17
large irrigation nozzle positioned justbehind the pitching rubber A quickcoupling outlet at each dugout can beequipped with an impact head orwith a hose and nozzle to hand waterbehind the plate and any areasmissed by the center rotor
All of MacWitheys coaching fieldmaintenance and donor solicitationare possible because of his decisionto devote the time to the game heloves Rather than pursuing acareer using his degree in electricalengineering from the University ofCentral Florida he decided todevelop his own business as anindependent newspaper deliveryagent for the flexibility it affordedhim The success of the softballprogram along with the support ofthe players parents SchoolSystem and community show thiswas the right choice for him That2000 STMA Field of the Year signposted under the softball fieldscoreboard is further affirmation
Steve and Suz Trusty are partners inTrusty amp Associates of Council BluffsIowa Steve is Executive Director ofthe Sports Turf Managers Association
sports TURF bull httpwwwsportsturfonlinecom
lRU MARKIntroducing the next generation of athletic field markers
See us at wwwtrumarkafmcom1-800-553-6275
Circle 109 on Inquiry Card
May 2001 17
