THE RESEARCH PLAYBOOK
Spring Dead Spot and Winterkill : A Threat to Athlete Safety and Performance
By Ava Veith ; David McCall , Ph . D .; Daniel Sandor , Ph . D .; Kyley Dickson , Ph . D .; Travis Roberson ; Aaron Tucker ; and Conlan Burbrink
Editor ’ s note : This article is written specifically from the lead author ’ s ( Ava Veith ’ s ) perspective .
Turfgrass diseases can cause many sleepless nights for field managers . Often , these diseases severely disturb the aesthetic and natural beauty of a healthy turfgrass athletic field . They come in a variety of shapes and sizes , and each patch , spot , or ring that appears within an area of turfgrass is surely a distraction to the eyes of viewers . But are turfgrass diseases more than simply a cosmetic issue on athletic playing surfaces ?
During the summer of 2023 , several researchers from Virginia Tech and the University of Tennessee studied the impacts of spring dead spot and winterkill on field playability as it relates to athlete safety . Athlete safety is a topic that hits close to home for me as a four-year member of the Virginia Tech women ’ s soccer team . I love being able to connect my passion for athletics with the research I am doing .
Spring dead spot ( taken during peak expression , May 2022 ).
30 SportsField Management | August 2024 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com