Keep sof bal maintenancecosts in the ballparkBY MARK NOVAK AND PATRICK MAGUIRE

As the days grow longer, the first signs of spring bring with it the excite-ment of a new season. Yet, whatever opportunities the season may bringfor athletes, athletic fields bring their own set of management chal-

lenges: how to increase usage and improve field conditions on limited budgets.With the unique combination of skinned infields, turf areas and other facility ele-ments, softball fields are some of the most difficult athletic facilities to properlymaintain. Attention to detail and creative athletic field design can help to reducescheduling headaches and keep annual maintenance costs in the ballpark.Following are several cost-effective techniques that will help to improve playingconditions and increase the life span of softball facilities:

Customize the infield mix. Composed primarily of sand, silt and clay, the"skinned" area of a softball field might be the most delicate and maintenanceintense component of all athletic field surfaces. In fact, many high-level facilitieshave staff dedicated solely to the upkeep of softball (and baseball) facilities.

Determining the composition of an infield mix directly influences both theplayability of the field, and how well it will respond to various weather conditions.Across the country there is an enormous variety in climatic conditions and just asmany variations in infield mix design. In New England, weather ranges from coldand wet months in the spring and fall, to hot and dry during the summer. A typicalratio for an infield mix in the northeastern portion of the country also reflects thearea's climatic conditions: 60-75% sand, 9-25% silt and 16-25% clay. The high per-centage of sand helps keep the infield mix playable in the spring and fall while thepercentage of clay helps maintain the skinned area's moisture during the dry sum-mer months. Each softball field is unique and the design of the infield mix shouldbe considered the same.

Water efficiently. Watering the skinned areas is necessary to maintain a consis-tent infield mix. Water is the glue that holds the components of the infield mixtogether. During the softball season and the hot, dry months of summer, skinnedareas can require water up to three to four times daily.

Springfield College in Springfield, MA, last year experienced an extremelydusty softball infield. The college's president called in a design consultant to assess

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and recommend renovation methods for the softball facility. Tests of the infield mixat the softball field showed a high percentage of silt. Dusty conditions on an infieldcan often be attributed to an infield mix that is high in silt and is not wateredenough.

Many natural grass athletic complexes have in-ground, head-to-head irrigationsystems. Instead of hand watering the field three to four times per day, considerinstalling a separate irrigation zonethat waters the infield mix at a differ-ent time and rate than the turf areas.High-speed irrigation heads shouldbe used in this type of application.Standard irrigation heads provide aslower, more thorough wateringwhich is required for turf areas. Thehigh-speed heads allow sports turfmanagers to initiate a quick irriga-tion cycle that will moisten theinfield mix without saturating theskinned areas. The incorporation ofa high pressure water hook-up nearthe infield is also advisable to aid inthe lip removal process at the borderof the infield surfaces and turf areas.Watering efficiently will save timeand dollars.

Cover up and support high-useareas. Keep maintenance at a mini-mum by purchasing a cover.Watering and then covering theskinned areas of a field when thefield is not in use will help theinfield mix retain its moisture andthereby prevent it from drying upand becoming concrete-like. Oncean infield mix is allowed to dry up, itrequires a significant amount ofman-hours and dollars to return it toa playable condition. Also considerinstalling clay bricks underneath theinfield mix to fortify batters boxesand pitcher's mounds.

Think about the following: Whatis the first thing a batter does whenhe/she steps into the batter's box?What is the first thing a pitcher doeswhen he/she takes the mound? Theydig themselves a firm foothold. Claybricks are installed approximately 2inches underneath the top layer ofinfield mix and prevent deep rutsthat will require repair after everygame or practice.

Test the infield mix. Infield mixtests are an essential component inthe renovation and maintenance ofskinned athletic surfaces. Considerthe constantly evolving nature of thenatural grass portions of softball (andbaseball) fields. Soil tests should beconducted a few times a year to ana-lyze the chemical and physical prop-erties of the turf's rootzone. Muchlike natural grass, the composition ofinfield mixes evolves over time andshould be tested annually. Annualmaintenance of skinned infield areastypically requires the addition ofamendments such as calcined clay.

Play on the infield, water and wind born erosion, and amendments will change theproperties of the infield mix. Annual tests help determine what the skinned areasneed to keep their composition in synch with the properties of the original designmIX.

Improve drainage. Under perfect conditions, skinned infields with qualityinfield mixes are exceptional playing surfaces. Unfortunately, perfect conditions

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cannot be guaranteed over thecourse of a softball season. Poor sur-face drainage is usually the primaryreason why a skinned infield areafails. Internal drainage is poor evenin the best-designed infield mixes.Considering subsurface drainage haslittle or no effect under skinnedinfield surfaces, facilities are bettersuited spending money and time dur-ing design and construction to main-tain positive surface drainage awayfrom the infield.

When possible, design swales tointercept water from surroundingareas before it has a chance to crossthe infield mix or any of the playingsurfaces. Insufficient drainage willonly create additional maintenanceheadaches for athletic and facilitydepartments. If an infield does notdrain properly, the condition of thefield will deteriorate immediately when used during or shortly after inclementweather. Use of drying agents can help to keep a field playable during a light rainbut proper design, intricate grading of the infield during construction and regularmaintenance is the best way to ensure your field will be suitable for play in a shortperiod of time after inclement weather.

Make the grade. How the infield is graded (the way the ball rolls) significantlyaffects the playability of the field and thus the potential safety of the athletes. TheNCAA provides recommendations and guidelines on how fields should be graded

with emphasis on consistencythroughout the entire field(www.ncaa.org). Other softball orga-nizations, such as the ASA, also pro-vide design standards that all fieldsshould strive to at least meet.Working with a design consultant tomeet and exceed standards willavoid jeopardizing player safety andenhance field playability.

Involve the team. The mainte-nance required for softball (andbaseball) infields can be staggering,especially for understaffed mainte-nance crews. Consider involving theteams that use your field. Teams tak-ing an active role in maintenancecan unload a considerable burdenfrom the staff. Involving the athletesin weeding, raking, watering down,and covering the field can helpthem get to know the field better, as

well as instill a sense of pride in the facility.Softball fields are dynamic facilities that will always require the attention of a

skillful and creative maintenance staff. For programs working with limited funds,good design decisions can improve playing conditions and reduce the chances forserious renovations in the near future.

Patrick Maguire is the president and Mark Novak is a project manager ofGeller Sport, a division of Geller DeVellis Inc., a Boston-based landscape

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