By Kris Koberg, CEO of DICA
As the Iowa Cubs, the AAA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, prepared to host their Spring into Summer concert series in May, a major question loomed for the team’s operations crew — how to deliver the concert’s stage, loaded aboard an 18-wheel semi, across the team’s playing surface.
Complicating any plans were the renovations that Principal Park, the home of the Iowa Cubs, had undergone last fall. Following the conclusion of the 2024 season, the Cubs had replaced their field.
“Whether it’s new or old, we would still want to protect it to the fullest extent that we possibly could,” said Iowa Cubs President and General Manager Sam Bernabe. “But it was even more important to protect it because it’s a young field — it hadn’t matured much yet at that point, by virtue of only being really grown in over a couple of months. So, it was even more vulnerable.”
With a 27-ton load set to travel from the park’s center field entrance to the third base line, Bernabe and the staff at Bobby Baker Entertainment, the event management company coordinating operations for the concert series, sought out ground protection solutions that could keep the new playing field in the best condition possible. Following the concert series, regular baseball action was set to resume just several days later.
“At first, they were talking about doubling up 3/4-inch plywood, but there’s a cost to that,” said Jason Brown, owner and event producer of Bobby Baker Entertainment. “Not just financially — the plywood is going to degrade, it’s going to splinter, and as it does that, it’s going to start taking gouges out of the grass underneath and leaving debris.”
When one of Brown’s employees came across a demo of a DICA ground protection product online and sent it to him, Brown called DICA, provided the details of their situation, and was recommended MaxiTrack Interlocking Mats. While a layer of plywood under the MaxiTrack remained a part of their plans as the haul approached (out of an abundance of caution), Brown said that once he saw how the MaxiTrack was performing, the crew on site pivoted their approach.
“I mean, this is turf that is literally turning green for the first time, it hasn’t even had a full year of compaction, we’re going to have a very cautious approach,” said Brown. “But we got to a point where we eliminated the plywood entirely and were running the truck and trailer on nothing but the MaxiTrack and seeing even better results.”
With 100 mats on hand, the on-site crew made up of Iowa Cubs grounds crew and summer interns along with Brown’s staff put MaxiTrack to work in a leapfrogging assembly line of sorts. As the truck drove across the field, the crew assembled a roadway in front of the truck as it disassembled the path behind it, a process made possible by MaxiTrack’s blend of strength and easyto-handle build.
As the haul unfolded, Bernabe monitored how the field held up. With no visual indication of the stage having crossed the field at all, he said that he and his team are more likely to hold similar events in the future.
“Any event we do that’s not baseball related, there’s always a decision that’s hard to make, and it’s how much damage the field is going to take,” said Bernabe. “If we can prevent that damage and excess cost from happening, then it makes the viability of a non-game day event even more prevalent.
“The next time we do it, will definitely use MaxiTrack, as well as adjusting some of the other precautions that we took,” he added.
[Editor’s Note: Article provided by DICA]
USA Shade, a leader in architecturally designed shade structures, announced a new partnership with USA Pickleball, the sport’s national governing body in the United States. As an official partner of USA Pickleball, USA Shade will bring its expertise to the fastest-growing sport in the U.S., delivering custom-engineered solutions to help create safer, cooler and more comfortable outdoor playing environments.
“As pickleball continues its explosive growth , facility owners are increasingly focused on upgrades that enhance player safety and elevate the overall experience,” said Jay Rivera, senior vice president of Sales at Shade Structures. “Our partnership with USA Pickleball is a strategic step forward, positioning USA Shade as a preferred shade partner for court builders, municipalities and racquet clubs responding to the surge in demand for modern, high-quality pickleball facilities.”
With more than 30 years of experience, USA Shade offers turnkey services across the entire project lifecycle — from design and engineering to manufacturing, project management and installation.
According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, pickleball participation has skyrocketed in recent years, with a 51.8% increase from 2022 to 2023. This rapid growth spans every age group, but older adults, who account for 85% of all pickleball-related injuries, face increased risks when exposed to high temperatures.
Strategic shade implementation is a proactive solution to help minimize those risks and support long-term player safety. USA Shade’s structures can reduce court temperatures by up to 25 degrees, helping protect players and spectators from harmful UV rays and excessive heat, conditions that can lead to dehydration, fatigue and heat-related injuries.
“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to elevating the pickleball experience, both in terms of performance and safety, for players of all ages,” said Christian Portaro, senior director of partnerships at USA Pickleball. “By ensuring all pickleball courts are protected with high-quality measures, we’re setting the stage for more people to be involved in pickleball and to be safe while doing so.”
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