Tom Foley and the STMM1993 Soccer Field of the Year—UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT RIVER FALLS

Player safety was the top priority inrenovating the regulation soccer fieldfor a NCAA women's team.

By Bob Tracinski

The game of soccer and collegiatewomen's sports have at least onething in common, they are both

fighting for recognition and parity withother sports. The University of Wisconsinat River Falls found a way to advance bothcauses, and in the process, capturedthe Sports Turf Managers AssociationSoccer Field of the Year Award for 1993.Two important reasons the campus wonthe prize are a skilled groundskeeper andthe encouragement of a professionalfootball franchise.

The River Falls campus is part ofthe University of Wisconsin educationsystem. It offers undergraduate majorsin 54 areas and minors in 59. Enrollmentis approximately 5,100. Sports at UW-River Falls involves 18 teams. Thereare 40 acres of athletic fields, but only23 acres have irrigation systems. Fieldsinclude: one full-sized football gamefield and three full-sized footballpractice fields; one standard softballfield; one standard baseball field; and onestandard women's soccer field—the 1993STMA Soccer Field of the Year. The 23-acre intramural complex includes eightsoftball diamonds, two full-sized soccer

10 sportsTURF

fields (also used for intramural foot-ball); and three combination fields thatare smaller than soccer-regulation size.Many of the fields are rented out for highschool use during the summer.

In early 1991, the administration atUW-RF recognized that if women'ssoccer was to be a success, significant fieldrenovation would have to occur.

The school's teams have been part ofthe NCAA Division III program since1991. Also since 1991, the Kansas CityChiefs football franchise has operated itstraining camp at the university. Inmany ways, the cooperative relation-ship with the NFL led to the developmentof an outstanding field.

At the heart of all this activity was TomFoley, groundskeeper—athletic and turf.Foley welcomes each new challenge asa "stimulating experience" and has anenthusiasm for sports turf managementthat draws in learning opportunities

the same way a magnet attracts metal.The Chiefs' summer camp program

includes two to three intense practicesa day. It's a weeding-out regime forpotential players. It can also be aweeding-out for less-than-vigorous turf.

"Working with the Chiefs' leadgroundskeeper, Andre Bruce and hisstaff, and with consultant Jim Watson,on developing and implementing theChiefs' plan was a super experience," saysFoley. "Player safety was, and is, the toppriority. All fields within the programreceive the same degree of care. Thereis to be no difference between thepractice fields and the game field. Eventhe field-painting is handled the same-There are so many details to take intoaccount at the professional level. 1(;

example, if there is even a hint of possitrain, at least one of the fields is alwa;covered prior to a game. It's importarthat each player be given a fair chancefor peak performance."

Working out the details of the programproposal to cement an agreement withthe Chiefs was, itself, a major project.Because Foley had worked with theChicago Bears' summer training campprogram at the University of Wisconsin,Platteville from 1984-86, he was well-aware of the benefits the school could reap,and actively "lobbied" for the Chiefs'program. "The administration reallygot behind this project. Establishing aspecific individual to act as liaison withthe Chiefs paved the way for programsuccess," Foley says. "Keeping thatposition open once the program gotunderway helped speed communicationsand eliminate the potential for problems.A small campus usually isn't gearedto handle something that extensive,"he adds.

"The procedure and level of care at theprofessional level are much more thanwe can manage for all the fields withina standard Class III maintenanceprogram, but so much of the basictechnology can be translated to work witha lower budget. Studying the basicsbehind each procedure and askingquestions about choices made, reallypays off," Foley explains.

Foley is no stranger to study. Heearned a degree in agriculture from theUniversity of Minnesota, with theoriginal intent of teaching high schoolagriculture classes. But the lure of theMimieapolis/St. Paul area drew him toa position with the University's UrbanExtension and Parks Department. In1984, he moved on to the University ofWisconsin at Platteville. His interest insports turf grew to unabashedenthusiasm while working with theChicago Bears' training camp turfspecialists there. His next step up was inJanuary 1986, when he becamegroundskeeper at UW-River Falls. Foleyserved as a lead worker reporting toacademic staff managers in chargeof facilities. He supervised a staff of oneyear-round special laborer and twoseasonal lawn-care workers.

Foley worked under Building andGi ads Supervisor Manville Kenney.Also supervised by Kenney—on thesame management level as Foley—arethe groundskeeper (landscape andornamentals,) and the liaison to theKansas City Chiefs' groundskeeper.Foley and Kenney feel strongly that theinvolvement of the UW-RF groundscrews with the Kansas City Chiefs train-1Jig-camp operations has sharpened the

grounds' activity as a service unit.The women's soccer field renovation

was not part of the Chiefs' program,but rather, another step in the contin-ual upgrade of the University facilitiesreflecting the overlying attitude andcommitment to excellence on campus.

Kenney says, "Renovating this fieldand establishing it as a safe field for acontact sport is itself important.Dedicating the field from its inception asa women's soccer field represents acreative response to the cry for sex

equality in college sports programs. Inan era of tightly guarded resources, onesmall public campus can leadconstructively by providing a field forwomen's sports that at athlete of anygender will be proud to play on.

"We found that having the Chiefshere gave us an even greater awarenessof the safety level on the playing field.Obviously, quality turf provides a saferplaying field. Although our university,as all educational facilities, is facing a

continued on page 12

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River Falls Soccercontinued from page 11

fiscal crunch and is under pressure tocosts down, we will continue to maintainand improve athletic facilities,"Kenney continues.

"It is vital to avoid as many 'crises inmanagement' as possible by having aconsistent, ongoing program. As with allviable entities in today's world, we learnto make trade-offs where we can andstrive to be more inventive in our use oflabor and funding," he adds.

As of April 1992, rough and unevenconditions marred the field that wasdesignated for use by women's soccer forthe fall 1993 semester. Construction ofa new field, with drain tile and irrigation,was not financially feasible.

Foley says, "Because this field, whichhad been in use for several years, hadunderlying soil with decent drainagecharacteristics, the decision was madeto renovate the field by removal of theexisting clay topsoil and replacing itwith a new soil mixture. Before fieldconstruction began, arrangements weremade to connect a hydrant to theexisting city water line, to provide quickand easy hookup for the water cannonand sprinkler irrigation that wouldbe needed.

"In the summer of 1992, the oldmaterial was removed by grader andblade. Grading depths varied from 10 to16 inches across the field, dependingon the depth of clay topsoil. The base wasthen leveled in preparation foraddition of the new medium.

"The new soil mix contained 265 tonsof screened sand. The particle size waskept standard at 0.5 to 1.0 mm. Next was250 tons of sand loam, the natural soilof most of the region, which wasavailable at another campus site. Tofinish the root zone, the material near thesurface with mixed with a Minnesota-source peat, providing organic matter andstructure for plant establishment. Thevarious components were blended to astandard consistency with a mix-mem-ber type machine. The root zone mix of75 percent sand, 20 percent sandy loamand five percent peat extends sixinches deep. Drainage throughout the newsoil profile is excellent.

"Major renovation was completedearly September 1992," says Foley. "Thefield was then seeded with the NorthrupKing Athletic Pro II blend of bluegrassesand perennial ryegrasses at a rate of threepounds per thousand square feet.

. .—jJSIji. "

• w

Tom Foley at women's soccer field.Anderson's 12-24-12 starter fertilizerwas applied at the standard, labelled rate.Adequate rainfall led to fairly evengermination."

Coping With SetbacksThe excellent start met with tough

times. Foley says, "Although cold wintersand heavy snowfall are normal forWisconsin, January 1993 brought awarm spell and driving rains. Coldtemperatures quickly settled back in,leaving the turf coated with a heavylayer of ice that lasted until late March.Once coated, grass plants couldn'tbreathe. Early April warm-up was fol-lowed by a frost and another late freeze.

"By late April 1993, it appeared thatthe resulting ice layers had killed largeareas of the new seedling. (In additionto contending with ice crystals,established turf on some of the other fieldsalso experienced snow mold problems.)Continued cool weather delayed asecond seeding and fertilization until May15. At that point, Athletic Pro II wasagain slit-seeded in two directions atthe rate of three pounds per 1,000 squarefeet. Additional starter fertilizer wasbroadcast.

"Because the soccer season was fastapproaching, it was necessary to doeverything possible to get establish-ment. The entire field was pin-spiked toenhance seed-to-soil contact. Germinationwas excellent.

"Equipment used by the contractor toapply the seed and handle follow-upirrigation had created 'channels' or'ridges' in the field. These had to beeliminated," says Foley. "We arrangedto borrow a small pull-behind roller

from the Chiefs' 'arsenal' to tackle the job."On June 7, 1993, a maintenance

schedule began based on soil analysesprepared by the University of Minnesota.A secondary goal of the program was tocombine nutritional products obtainedfrom local agricultural sources withthose from turf supply companies. As aresult, potassium sulfate (0-0-66) andgranular urea (46-0-0) were used throughthe summer. It takes more expertise toapply and monitor these materialscorrectly. When they are used properlythey can provide good results. For the lastfertilization in October, Par Ex 24-4-12 was applied at a rate of two poundsper 1,000 square feet.

"Although water is metered sepa-rately, record rainfall made irrigationunnecessary. Broadleaf-weed controlwas applied as necessary to eliminatethose weeds that crept in during theearly spring setback.

"Maintenance labor costs for thewomen's soccer field were budgeted at oneperson for eight hours a week for 24weeks," Foley explains.Special Maintenance Challenges

"Soccer fields have no need for acrown greater than 0.5 percent," saysFoley. To attain this level surface, theKansas City Chiefs' groundskeeperallowed us to borrow his roller for use overa three-day period. To paint soccer fieldlines with less frequency, the growth reg-ulator Primo was mixed with field paint-

In July 1994 the Women's SoccerField at UW-RF was "looking gorgeous,according to Kenney. "We're maintainingthe turf at 2 to 2.5 inches during the sum-mer months. The grass is developing

12 sportsTURF

1.5 i

it's

kle

deeper root system, needs less irrigation,and is shading out invading weeds. We'llgra ually reduce turf height to 1.25 to

nches for the playing season. Althoughtill necessary to irrigate with the more1-intensive water cannon and sprin-setup, good water management

and timely rainfall continued to interactwith the established maintenance pro-gram to sustain the thick stand of grass."

Scheduling ActivitiesDuring the first year of use, all

so< physical education classes used thefield. The first class "hit the field" at 11a.m. On weekdays, the women's soccerteam practiced from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thisgave the grounds crew adequatemorning hours for irrigation and fieldpreparation. Although weekdayactivity was steady during those hours,the field help up well.

Women's soccer attains varsity statusat the start of the 1994 season. At the uni-versity level, sports move from intramuralstatus through intermediary club statusto prove themselves able to achieveenough sustained interest and playerparticipation to achieve varsity status.The fall varsity soccer program beginsin ! August and extends to early or mid-No\ nber, depending on how far the teamadv rices in tournament competition.

In January 1994, Tom Foley moved upto the position of grounds crew chief atthe University of Wisconsin, Whitewater,located south of Madison and west ofMilwaukee. Football is the premiumsport at Whitewater. The stadium hoststhe university's football games, regionalhigh school football games, summer highsch I football camps, a drum and buglecorps regional competition, and soccerplayoffs. "We need to work stadiummaintenance procedures around a heavysch( ule," says Foley. "But it's such a greatfacility. It needs to be used."

Typically, Foley is enthusiastic aboutthe iew position and calls the wholeexperience "stimulating." Although heknows it will take time to assimilatebackground on conditions as they are now,develop a master action plan, and beginthe nplementation of that plan, hisentl usiasm is contagious.

ere's that Foley magnetism again.He aws in new information, integratesrt into usable patterns with his ownstoi of knowledge, and then attractsthe aterests and cooperation of thosearou nd him.

Foley spreads his enthusiasm to boththe national and chapter levels of the

Sports Turf Managers Association."There's a wealth of excellent informa-tion available through the STMA and somany members who are willing to sharetheir knowledge and experience. There'sso much to be gained by attending sem-inars and workshops and getting involved.

"I really appreciate the people whogave—and continue to give—their timeand effort in making sports turf a viablecareer path," Foley says.

Foley takes an active role in thatas well. He was thrilled to provide

encouragement and serve as areference for a student who is planningto make sports turf management hiscareer choice. "I feel that STMA has somuch to offer," Foley says. "The whole fieldis a 'sleeping giant'just awakening." •

Bob Tracinski is the manager ofpublic relations for the John DeereCompany in Raleigh, NC. He is alsopublic relations chair for the STMA.

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