ACCESSING THE ARCHIVES
In this retrospective, we examine historic issues of SportsTurf magazine, predecessor to SportsField Management magazine. For this edition of Accessing the Archives we take a look back at Y2K.
The January 2000 issue showcased SportsTurf Manager of the Year winner Eugene Mayer. In addition to serving as technical trainer and support manager for The Scotts Company during his career, Mayer oversaw the development and maintenance of playing fields such as the Rose Bowl for the 1994 World Cup, Ohio Stadium at OSU and several Major League Baseball fields. He served on the STMA Board of Directors, and won the Harry C. Gill Founders Award in 1997.
The Certified Sports Field Manager program launch also coincided with the January 2000 issue, and the benefits of certification were outlined within.“ Because of the broad scope addressed in the competencies, it becomes necessary for each certified sports field manager to demonstrate understanding and mastery not only of agronomics and turfgrass physiology, but also of such factors as the maintenance of baseball field skinned areas and the principles of irrigation management,” the article stated.“ As knowledge is accumulated and skills are honed, the level of professionalism rises not only in individual programs, but across the industry.”
In February 2000, SportsTurf examined ASTM standards and the work being done at the time on guidelines for everything from tennis courts and track surfaces to pole
vault landing pits, playground surfaces, football fields, synthetic turf and more. The primary focus of the editorial was on ASTM standards for skinned areas.
“ We’ re working on guidelines, not practices,” said Dr. Don Waddington, chair of the Natural Playing Surface subcommittee.“ Guidelines give a series of options or instructions that do not recommend a specific course of action. With either guidelines or practices, people have the choice to follow them or not to follow them. ASTM doesn’ t legislate.”
Baseball was the focus of the March 2000 issue, and included articles on infield maintenance and grooming, baseball field drainage, and warning track construction and maintenance. The issue also showcased the Professional Baseball Field of the Year, Jetform Park, home of the Ottawa
Lynx, Triple A affiliate of the Montreal Expos.
Dr. Dave Minner wrote about modifying rootzones with sand for the April 2000 issue.“ Successfully built sand-based fields can be very expensive,” he wrote.“ Just what are the agronomic and financial breakpoints of using sand in the rootzone? Can we use less sand, reduce the cost, and still have a
42 SportsField Management | April 2025 sportsfieldmanagementonline. com