ACCESSING THE ARCHIVES
In this retrospective , we take a look at historic issues of SportsTurf magazine , predecessor to SportsField Management magazine . In this issue , we delve into the archives for 1997 .
The January 1997 issue of SportsTurf chronicled the efforts of George Toma and others to save the Olympic stadium field at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta . A cover had been left on the field for several days at a time for opening ceremony rehearsals . In addition , the in-ground sprinkler system was inoperable due to damage . According to the article , “ There wasn ’ t time to strip off the old sod , regrade , soak the sand field with water and allow it to settle . The new sod would be laid on top of the old sod , after verticutting to get the dead grass out of the field , sweeping up the debris , bringing in five- to six-ton rollers to ensure a smooth surface , aerifying to allow water into the sand , topdressing with sand , and fertilization .”
The January issue also previewed the 8th Annual STMA Conference in Colorado Springs , Colorado ; profiled SportsTurf “ Manager of the Year ,” Floyd Perry ; and highlighted the new turf field at Arkansas ’ Razorback Stadium .
The February 1997 SportsTurf cover story was “ Constructing Fields for Peak Performance .” In the article , three sports turf specialists — Michael DePew , Steve Guise and Steve Wightman — shared their experiences on what it takes for fields to survive the test of multiple use . They addressed topics such as compaction , usage , safety and playability , the rootzone and more . The piece included profiles of two successful fields .
In the March issue , the focus was on preparing baseball fields for the season . Tips outlined lip removal , surface leveling , applying additives , rolling and dragging , turf maintenance and much more . The theme continued with articles on infield grooming and spring seeding ; and the March issue also showcased the Professional Baseball Field of the Year , Thomas J . Dodd Memorial Stadium , home of the Norwich Navigators .
Sports field drainage was the lead topic in the April 1997 issue . “ The secret to good field drainage is planning ,” the article stated . “ Obviously , the best time to solve drainage problems is before they happen , when the field is being built . On existing fields with serious drainage problems , the wise course is to identify the most serious underlying problem and to plan ways to correct it . Stop-gap measures can provide a temporary fix , but unless a plan is developed for correcting the big problems , the Band-Aid fixes will have to be done over and over .”
The May 1997 issue of SportsTurf examined , “ Trends in Fitting Fields to Stadiums .” The article stated that fields must be able to host appropriate athletic events by providing a safe , highly playable surface that allows participants to play to the best of their ability . In addition , the field and stadium must be able to accommodate other revenue-raising events to justify the
42 SportsField Management | January 2025 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com