YEAR IN REVIEW

With 2024 coming to a close , we look back at the top stories of 2024 . Below you will find the most-read stories on SportsFieldManagementOnline . com this year . We have broken it down into categories to highlight the top 10 feature stories , news items and product announcements of the year .

FEATURES PURE LIVE SEED : DOES IT REALLY MATTER ? Rapid establishment of a dense , persistent turf from seed relies on planting a viable optimal target seedling density . Target seeding rates , however , vary by individual species and seed size . Cale Bigelow , Ph . D ., examined target seeding rate , as well as another important but often overlooked factor that must be considered to achieve your target planting density . That factor is pure live seed , the percent of the desired species in the seed bag that is actually viable and most likely to establish under optimal field conditions .

THE HISTORY AND BEST PRACTICES FOR INFIELD TOPDRESSINGS In the 1960s , groundskeepers began incorporating different products into their infield skins to try to improve playability . These products initially consisted of diatomaceous earth , porous ceramics and even crushed corn cobs . They were referred to as amendments or conditioners because the products were typically blended into the infield profile . In this article , Luke Yoder and Paul Zwaska took a deep dive into the history and best practices of infield topdressings .

Q & A WITH DR . GRADY MILLER : WINTER FIELD WORK DOS AND DON ’ TS Grady Miller , Ph . D ., answered the following question : “ Now that our fields are dormant for the winter , we have more time to tackle field maintenance and projects that we could not get to during the summer and fall . Is there anything that we should not do now ?”

MORE THAN GRASS WITH ALPHA JONES : PROFESSIONALISM IN SPORTS FIELD MANAGEMENT Thanks to dedicated networks and social media platforms , sports are in the public eye 24 / 7 . This visibility increases the need for meticulous maintenance to ensure field integrity for playability and safety . As a result , the demands on sports field managers ( SFMs ) are growing significantly , making it vital to preserve and improve the reputation of SFMs . Alpha Jones , CSFM , detailed how professionalism is a step in the right direction .

FINISH AND SURFACE GRADE : POSITIVE DRAINAGE PATTERNS This excerpt from the Ballfield Design & Dimensions Guide , Fourth Edition , presented by Beacon Athletics and DuraEdge , shared why no other portion of a ballfield construction or renovation project has more impact on the success of your facility than the finish grade and the resulting surface drainage pattern .

CRAFTING AN EFFECTIVE RFP FOR SPORTS FIELD PROJECTS Crafting a request for proposal ( RFP ) when it comes to having work done on your field can set the stage for success throughout the project . That ’ s why it is essential to put in the work in advance . Mary Helen Sprecher showed

28 SportsField Management | December 2024 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com