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MASTERSHIELD PLUS™ protective event flooring panels protect soccer turf from damage. The Rochester Community Sports Complex in New York state also features what is commonly called “the downtown soccer stadium” and is home to the Flower City Union of the National Premier Soccer League. The stadium also hosts a variety of other sporting activities such as collegiate and youth soccer, football, lacrosse, and field hockey. However, when a one-day ROC FEST event featuring the "I Love the 90's Tour" and the "Tacos & Tequila Festival" was scheduled for the stadium on September 6th, COVERMASTER® was contacted.
In early September 1999, I found the limits of my dedication to sports fields, and so did the late Dr. Tony Koski, professor of turfgrass science at Colorado State University (CSU). That summer at Denver’s now-retired Mile High Stadium (MHS) the Broncos had concerns over the field conditions after a brutal summer field events season of concerts and such. Coach Shanahan trusted my skills on the club’s training fields and kept “asking” me to do something about the field at MHS, where the management and maintenance was done through the City of Denver’s Parks Department. The venue was owned and operated by the municipality, as was typical in most MLB and NFL stadiums back then. The Broncos leased the stadium. I tried to explain to coach Shanahan how I had no authority down there, and it was as much a field booking issue as a maintenance issue, but I always said I would go down there and do my best.
COVERMASTER® infield tarp is the strongest core field cover in the game. The Atlanta Braves compete in the National League (NL) East Division of Major League Baseball (MLB). They play out of Truist Park which is about 10 miles outside of downtown Atlanta. With seating for over 41 thousand spectators, the ballpark is considered to have excellent sightlines and of course, top notch field conditions. They are also a long-time customer of COVERMASTER®, the world leader in sports surface protection.
Los Angeles, CA - COVERMASTER® PLATINUM COVERTILE™ provides the ultimate in gym flooring tiles. Nine in ten students at Mount Saint Mary's University (MSMU) in Los Angeles, California are women. This private Catholic university offers over 30 undergraduate majors and minors, some 15 graduate programs, and more than 10 Weekend/Evening and Online programs. MSMU’s goal is to provide students with the knowledge and skills to better themselves, their environments, and become unstoppable.
San Diego, CA - San Diego Padres use EVERGREEN® turf blankets to spur on new sod growth. This past January, the second annual San Diego Rodeo took place at Petco Park ballpark, home of the San Diego Padres, a member of the National League (NL) West Division of Major League Baseball (MLB). The sold-out, 3-day event featured some of the world’s top rodeo athletes in everything from bull riding to bareback riding, barrel racing, team roping, and more. Yes, the baseball infield and outfield were transformed into a professional rodeo venue.
Champaign, IL - COVERMASTER® custom cut, colored, and branded stadium seat cover sections for UIUC. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) is located in Champaign, Illinois which is about two hours south of Chicago and the same to the east of Indianapolis. With over 59 thousand students, it is one of the largest universities by enrolment in the U.S. and has 651 buildings on 6,370 acres – one of which is Memorial Stadium. Primarily used for the university’s Fighting Illini football team, the stadium also hosts other events including their annual Illinois Sights and Sounds welcome event and campus-wide commencement ceremony.
I am honored that COVERMASTER® has asked me to contribute to the “Tips From The Pros” section as part of their E-newsletter. I have known and worked with COVERMASTER® for years but have gotten to know them more over the last 27 years as Head Groundskeeper for the Arizona Diamondbacks at Bank One Ballpark/Chase Field. COVERMASTER® was one of the original sponsors, along with Toro and Profile Products/Turface, and they continue to be an annual sponsor of the MLB Groundskeeper’s Meetings/Symposiums, that started after my first year with the Dbacks in 1998.
Even odd-shaped football fields can benefit from the ultimate in turf growth covers Known as “Music City”, Nashville is also home to the National Football League (NFL) Tennessee Titans who play in the South Division of the American Football Conference (AFC). Over the years, the Titans groundskeepers ensured that their natural turf fields are in prime playing condition thanks to COVERMASTER® EVERGREEN® RADIANT TURF COVERS. And even though their home field at Nissan Stadium has been synthetic turf since 2023, they also have natural turf practice fields.
MASTER 2200 vinyl gym floor covering was the answer to a busy event schedule Senpaq’cin School is a First Nations school for all children between the ages of 4 and 12 years old. Located in Oliver, British Columbia, Canada in the southern-most section of the Okanagan Valley, the school is operated by the Osoyoos Indian Band of the Okanagan Nation. Academic studies are enhanced by their culture, beliefs, and values. They nurture relationships to self, others, and the land to inspire global learners and ensure a bright future for all.
MASTERSHIELD TRAX™ modular flooring provides maximum artificial turf protection Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech or FIT) is a private research university in Melbourne, Florida that was originally established in 1958 to provide advanced education for those working in the U.S. space program and is now comprised of four academic colleges. In 2023, Florida Tech installed cutting edge, artificial playing surfaces at Rick Stottler Field and the Varsity Training Center (VTC) field, home of their NCAA Division Level II soccer and lacrosse teams.
COVERMASTER® equestrian riding arena covers ready for rain at TCU Bear Creek facility This past March, Texas Christian University (TCU) hosted the 2025 Big 12 Equestrian Championship at Bear Creek Farms, their equestrian center in Burleson, Texas just 20 miles south of the TCU campus in Fort Worth. The facility features a covered riding arena and an outdoor Western arena complete with spectator seating and covered stalls for their horses. While March is not the rainiest month in Texas, what if it rained during the Big 12?
I have been working in the sports and entertainment, facilities and events management industry since March 1987. I have managed several venues and been involved in numerous events
EVERGREEN® Radiant Turf Covers are a sure bet for top racing conditions Known for attracting top owners, horses, riders, and trainers, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Racetrack was built in 1937 in the seaside community of Del Mar, California. It was funded through a partnership that included Bing Crosby, actor Pat O'Brien, Jimmy Durante, Charles S. Howard, and Oliver Hardy of the famed comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy. A year later, in 1938, Del Mar hosted a $25,000 winner-take-all race that saw the legendary Seabiscuit win by a nose over Ligaroti.
Lightweight COVERMASTER® RAINCOVER ULTRA™ is the strongest raincover in the industry Over 40 years ago, COVERMASTER® changed the raincover industry from the heavy, cumbersome tarps that were often used, to a new, lightweight raincover design that took the marketplace by storm. In fact, baseball teams at all levels continue to use COVERMASTER® raincovers because of how tough and strong they are. The Dayton Dragons in Dayton, Ohio are one of those clubs who wouldn’t be without COVERMASTER® RAINCOVER ULTRA™.
Snap together portable flooring from COVERMASTER® protects a soccer pitch every time The Servus Sports Centre in Lethbridge, Alberta is home of the Lethbridge Soccer Association, as well as in-line hockey and ball hockey. The center features two indoor regulation 80 by 180-foot soccer fields and two 16-thousand square foot playing surfaces. It allows the Lethbridge Soccer Association to not only provide soccer programs for youth ages three to 18, but also have house league and other competitive soccer programs and activities.
Multi-use events get double-teamed by COVERMASTER® carpet tiles and rolls Last year, in early August, a four-day festival called “Humor & Harmony” was hosted by entertainment mogul, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, in Shreveport, Louisiana. In addition to a concert, comedy show, car show, and many other events, the festival also featured a celebrity basketball game. Venues included the Shreveport Convention Center, the Municipal Auditorium, and Stageworks, a former soundstage.
Ross Kurcab is a Certified Sports Field Manager (CSFM) and a professional sports field consultant with 30 years’ experience as a head turf manager in professional football. He graduated from Colorado State University’s Turfgrass Management program and now operates and owns Championship Sports Turf Systems.
Longtime Customer Makes a Beeline to COVERMASTER® for Infield Baseball Covers. Utah’s Salt Lake Bees originally played baseball under that name from 1915 to 1916 and later from 1958 to 1965. In 1994, the team was known as the Salt Lake Buzz followed by the Salt Lake Stingers from 2001 to 2005 when its name was changed back to the Salt Lake Bees. In 2023 it was announced that the team would be moving to a new stadium about 35 minutes south of Salt Lake City in South Jordan, Utah. The Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team would continue to play in the Pacific Coast League as a Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels.
More Non-Athletic Action Means the Best in COVERMASTER® Gym Floor Carpet Tile Protection Over the years, Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama has been going to COVERMASTER® to provide world class surface protection of its athletic facilities. Prior to the opening of its new $85 million recreation, wellness, and athletic complex in 2024, Samford’s project architect approached COVERMASTER® about a gym floor protection system in Seibert Hall. Originally built in 1961, Seibert Hall was incorporated into the new complex and updated with a new gymnasium floor.
Turf Manager’s Experience with Turf Growth Covers Ranks EVERGREEN® as Premium Choice In 2021, the United Soccer League (USL) welcomed an expansion team into USL League One in Lexington, Kentucky, the “Horse Capital of the World”. Competing in the Western Conference, the Lexington Sporting Club started with a men’s pro soccer team and a youth soccer organization. In 2024a women’s pro soccer team was added into the USL Super League. It also includes teams in the United Premier Soccer League (men's amateur), USL W League (women's pre-professional), and USL Academy (boys developmental).