ACCESSING THE ARCHIVES
In this retrospective , we examine historic issues of SportsTurf magazine , predecessor to SportsField Management magazine . This month , we turn back the clock to 1988 via the pages of SportsTurf . Some of the highlights from that year are as follows :
1988 kicked off with an in-depth look at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego , and its road to becoming the host site for Super Bowl XXII . The stadium — which had been home field to the San Diego Chargers , San Diego Padres and San Diego State Aztecs — had been mocked by players as recently as 1983 as “ AstroDirt .” The story chronicled how Bill Wilson , stadium general manager , and Brian Bossard , grounds manager , transformed the problematic field into a surface worthy of the NFL ’ s biggest stage . According to the article , along the way , “ the top 14 inches of the field were removed and replaced with sand of a prescribed size and new drainage and irrigation systems were installed in both football and baseball field configurations .”
The April issue that year profiled Olsen Field at Texas A & M University and Head Groundskeeper Leo Goertz . The article is an interesting look at the path Goertz took to success , and the lessons he learned along the way . “ Mistakes teach you either to innovate or to stick to the basics . You need to do both to get by in sports turf maintenance . When money is short , all you have to rely on is innovation , motivation and manpower ,” said Goertz .
June 1988 was a banner moment in the history of the magazine , as it is the issue with which SportsTurf became the official publication of the Sports Turf Managers Association .
In his monthly column , titled “ The Front Office ,” Associate Publisher Bruce Shank wrote , “ We are pleased by STMA ’ s faith and trust in SportsTurf magazine . We have become partners in a mission to help inform the professional , and we have learned to respect each other for those things we have been able to contribute to the industry . Today we share the same concept for the future .”
Of the partnership , STMA Executive Director Kent Kurtz wrote , “ We have come a long way in a very short time — but we are just beginning , the future is yet to come , the potential is unlimited . The teamwork between STMA and SportsTurf appears exciting .”
44 SportsField Management | March 2024 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com