SportsField Management June 2025 | Field of the Year

Schools and Parks Soccer

The Field at Countryside

Surprise, Arizona

The Field of the Year Awards program is made possible by the support of sponsors Carolina Green, World Class Athletic Surfaces and The Aquatrols Company.

 

Here in Surprise, we have a rich history with SFMA that dates back to Joe Kennedy. His legacy continues to inspire us to restore and uphold the reputation set decades ago, with the spring training complex winning multiple awards. 

I vividly remember working AAA baseball in Nashville and seeing the cover of SportsTurf in May 2005, thinking, “Wow, this is amazing!” The fields and the White Tank Mountains in the background were stunning.

After moving to Arizona in 2008, I witnessed Roger Bossard frequently calling Joe to discuss field maintenance — highlighting the immense respect that the famous “Sodfather” had for Joe and his contributions to the industry. 

When I returned to pro ball in Peoria, Arizona (where Joe started), and later moved to Surprise, inside my desk I found an old Field of the Year application that Joe made for the 2005 submission. This history is the cornerstone of what our parks maintenance team strives for — especially as we built this sports field, the first new park here in almost 20 years.

With the unwavering support of our leadership team, including Holly Osborn, Shannon Gaul, and Ian Campbell, we embraced the mission to achieve the best field in the “countryside.” I reached out to Scott Heren of Providence Catholic, Keith Fisher of Central Regional High, and Daniel Prince of Pace Academy for insights. Their willingness to help us understand the submission process was invaluable.

I meticulously gathered all the required data and documented everything, knowing that thorough documentation is crucial. As someone who takes numerous photos, I ensured we had extensive visual records, capturing both the good and the areas for improvement. The leadership team wanted a semi-pro-level field for our citizens and youth to use for multiple sports, and the city council gave us the means to accomplish this. Having that support staff and knowledge within our team, I believe, sets us apart.

– Steve Hamilton, CSFM, parks maintenance supervisor

 

Level and category of submission: Schools and Parks Soccer

Field manager: Steve Hamilton, CSFM

Title: Parks maintenance supervisor

Education: Horticulture with Agricultural Science certificate, Jackson State Community College, Jackson, Tennessee

Experience: Assistant groundskeeper at Greer Stadium in Nashville. Head groundskeeper for the Birmingham Barons. Participated in building the new spring training home for the Chicago White Sox and L.A. Dodgers in Glendale, Arizona, overseeing the stadium for four years. Part-time for the Arizona D-Backs from 2009-2015. Lead groundskeeper at Scottsdale Stadium for 3 years. I switched to parks and recreation for the city of Peoria, Arizona, until returning to pro baseball in the same city 1-1/2 years later. Currently, I’m a parks maintenance supervisor for the city of Surprise, Arizona.

Original construction: 2023

Turfgrass: 419 bermuda from West Coast Turf

Overseed: Perennial ryegrass

Rootzone: Sand

 

SportsField Management (SFM): Congratulations on the Field of the Year win. What are you most proud of with this win?

Steve Hamilton, CSFM: I’m most proud of our team — from top to bottom. We haven’t built a new park here in Surprise, Arizona, in nearly 20 years; so to see that old gravel lot transform into a vibrant green field was truly a dream come true. This project brought our team closer together, building trust along the way, as we worked handin-hand to bring it to life. Our management was incredibly supportive and listened to every concern we had, which made all the difference. Honestly, receiving this award was a complete surprise to us, and it brings so much joy to know that youth sports — including games for my own kids — now have these fields to play on. 

After receiving the award, I drove back and went straight to coaching that evening on the fields for which we had just won an award. It’s moments like those that remind me how blessed and privileged we are.

SFM: What were the biggest challenges you faced with the winning field, and how have you approached those challenges?

Hamilton: Some of the biggest challenges we’ve faced with the winning field are certainly tied to the unique conditions here in the desert of Arizona. The extreme weather fluctuations — from 30 to 115 degrees — along with ongoing drought conditions create constant pressure on maintaining the turf to a high standard. The challenge even becomes more complex when balancing the high standard of turf, along with the turf wear patterns due to the youth sports practices and games running six days a week. In addition, we leave the field open for residents to use during non-programming times.

One of our biggest challenges is learning how to manage the layout for both of our primary sports (soccer and flag football) to mitigate as much wear and tear as possible. This is done by moving fields every two weeks by offsetting the fields when we start to see the wear patterns becoming prevalent. We rotate the middle of the football fields and the goal mouths for soccer to manage wear and tear, but it requires a lot of coordination (see sidebar at the bottom of this article).

Another challenge is ensuring the field is properly maintained for the changing seasons. During the seasons we are topdressing, fertilizing and painting weekly, which requires us to plan months in advance to accomplish our goals to provide a high-quality playing field.

SFM: Can you share a little about your overall management approach to the winning field and what you feel have been the most important aspects to getting this field to an award-winning level?

Hamilton: I’d like to take a moment to brag about one thing: Our management team truly listens to us. They’re always receptive to our concerns, especially when it comes to field closures for maintenance. To maintain the high level of play we receive and continue providing a world-class surface, they understand that downtime for turf TLC is essential.

Beyond that, our approach is simple but effective. We focus on foliar applications for fast results and always aim to keep the grass “hungry” and thriving. We’re fortunate to have some great tools that help us achieve this. We utilize our fertigation system to ensure a steady supply of nutrients, allowing us to feed the turf in a controlled and cost-efficient way. Our John Deere 7200A reel mower provides an incredibly precise, scissor-like cut that gives us that pool-table-quality turf. And the Swozi auto painter is a game-changer, allowing us to quickly move wear and tear to different areas of the field as needed by painting a new field just feet from the original field. It’s the anti-resod machine that saves time and money for multiple areas in our park’s sports field.

SFM: Please tell us about your crew, and anything else you would like us to know about your organization and the fields/facilities that you manage?

Hamilton: Our crew is like a Swiss Army knife — we have people from diverse backgrounds that help us stay well-rounded. Some of our team members have experience in MLB spring training, golf courses, landscaping, Hollywood and farming, which brings a unique blend of skills and perspectives to the table. Our management team is truly one of a kind, and I feel for others who mention their struggles with upper management. While we certainly face challenges, we’re incredibly fortunate to have a team that cares for us and supports us.

I’ve been part of two World Series teams, and the camaraderie and sense of being part of something bigger than ourselves that we have here in Surprise is very similar. We’re entrusted with more than 200 acres of combined open spaces, sports fields and parks; and most days it feels like working with the funniest team in all of sports, parks and recreation combined.

I manage two larger parks on the west side of town, as well as the Fields at Countryside. We have a rich history of award-winning fields, so this recognition was on my bucket list. When we received the call that we won, it felt like Christmas morning as a kid.

To quote the great Ted Lasso, “Success is not about the wins and losses. It’s about helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves, on and off the field.” That’s my motto when I come to work every day, because I wouldn’t be answering these questions if it weren’t for the incredible team we have here in Surprise, Arizona.

Dual Sport Maintenance

Although it won in the S&P Soccer category, the Fields at Countryside host both soccer and flag football. Steve Hamilton, CSFM, shared insight into maintaining optimal field conditions for dual-sport fields. 

“For soccer, one of the key insights we gained after the first season was the importance of effective communication with our youth sports department,” said Hamilton. “We provide detailed guidelines on how practices should be conducted to minimize wear and tear on the field. This includes a map indicating where goals should be placed to alleviate wear at the goalmouths, suggestions for conducting cone drills off the center of the field, and alternating bench spots daily.”

A PowerPoint presentation is shared with coaches to educate them on maintaining the best possible playing surface. This proactive approach has been crucial, as practices occur five days a week with games on weekends and occasional weekdays.

“To further enhance our field management, we utilize a robotic painter,” Hamilton added. “By shifting the field markings weekly by one inch to a few feet, we reduce wear and are able to focus on other maintenance tasks. This has significantly saved time and minimized field damage from continuous use.

“For flag football, we realized the importance of customizing the field to include different markings, such as no-run zones. This flexibility allows us to not only shift fields but also completely rearrange the layout if necessary due to wear and tear. The intense back-to-back games and practices often take a toll between the hashes, making turf coverage maintenance a challenge. However, we inform coaches about cultural practices to manage expectations and field conditions.”

According to Hamilton, the sports staff also conducts sweeps of the fields, which helps reduce the potential for mower damage due to foreign object. 

“Additionally, we allow the use of portable canopies but prohibit stakes to prevent field damage,” he said. “The sports staff ensures all equipment is removed before sundown on game day.”