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Dunwoody, GA - More and more high schools in the U.S. are protecting their baseball infields from rain and other forms of inclement weather. Located in a northern suburb of Atlanta, the Dekalb County School District wanted to do just that at Dunwoody High School. The athletic department at Dunwoody provides students with programs that not only develop skills and team building, but also teach sportsmanship and critical thinking.
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.
Colorado Springs, CO - When you’re over a mile above sea level, in the state of Colorado, temperatures in early spring can still be below freezing and snow will likely be in the forecast. Since the United Soccer League (USL) season starts in March, the grounds crew at Weidner Field in Colorado Springs must ensure that the artificial turf is playable for Colorado Springs Switchback FC games. Considering that the 8,000-seat, soccer-specific stadium has the highest elevation of any USL stadium in the country, snow protection is absolutely essential to make that happen.
Hilo, HI - The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is one of 10 campuses throughout the Hawaiian Islands. With 33 undergraduate and three graduate programs, it is known for marine science, astronomy, volcanology, and Hawaiian studies. Known as the Vulcans, athletics include softball, cross country, golf, soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, and volleyball. On campus, the Vulcan Gymnasium is home for Hawai‘i Hilo Women's Volleyball, a variety of intramural sports, and the annual Fall Commencement Ceremonies for the university.
Fort Worth, TX - Established in 1873, Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas is a private research university with over 12,700 students. Most varsity sports at TCU compete in NCAA Division I athletics, as a member of the Big 12 Conference. Sports include baseball, basketball, football, track and field, cross country, swimming, and golf. TCU’s mascot is known as “Superfrog” and is based on the state’s reptile, the horned frog, which in fact, is actually a lizard!
Southaven, MS - BankPlus Amphitheater is a concert venue located at Snowden Grove Park in Southaven, Mississippi. It’s not far from Memphis International Airport and is a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee. Snowden Grove Park also features 17 baseball fields and is considered to be the largest youth baseball complex in the United States. It’s also the location of Snowden House, formerly a home of the Snowden family and now refurbished to serve as a special events center for the city of Southaven.
Bill Squires served 12 years on active duty in the United States Navy and 12 years in the Naval Reserves, retiring as a Commander. In 1987, he entered the sports facilities and event management business and has held top-level positions with Yankee Stadium, Giants Stadium, Cleveland Browns Stadium, and ESPN Wide World of Sports. Bill has a consulting business featuring clients like the New York Football Giants. He is a member of the Sports League Sub Council, which works with the Department of Homeland Security on security issues involving the safety and security of sports and entertainment venues. Bill is an adjunct professor at Columbia University and has taught the Sports Facilities and Events Management course in the Master of Science in Sports Management since 2007.
Columbus, IN - Back in 2017, Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing in Columbus, Indiana, opened their T+Rex Recreational Complex, a state-of-the-art fitness complex on the Toyota campus, south of Columbus in the Woodside Industrial Park. Built specifically for its 1,400 workforce and family members, who are covered by the company’s health plan, the 35-thousand square foot complex, features two basketball courts, an upper bowl running track, an in-house pharmacy, physical therapy center, and areas for weight training, spin classes, Zumba, and more.
Pittsburgh, PA - As a world leader in sports surface protection, COVERMASTER® has been providing Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Pittsburgh Pirates with various products over several decades. So, when it was time to replace their turf covers at PNC Park, the Pirates contacted COVERMASTER® for the best solution to protecting their baseball turf over the winter and providing earlier growth in the spring.
Cincinnati, OH - Ohio’s Cincinnati Bengals football team competes in the National Football League’s (NFL) in the North division of the American Football Conference (AFC). They were the AFC champion most recently in 2021 and today, continue to build towards another championship. Upgrades to Bengal fan experience at Paycor Stadium were added recently and for the game itself, a new artificial turf playing field. To provide the ultimate in athletic field protection for the new FieldTurf field, they immediately turned to COVERMASTER®.
Dalton, GA - In January of 2023, Riverbend Park in Whitfield County, Georgia, was presented with a national award from the Independent Sports Association (ISA), one of the four major governing bodies of amateur softball in America, as its “2022 ISA Complex of the Year”. The award was given for providing above and beyond assistance with ISA’s 2022 Men’ World Softball Championship. This is one of many accolades for the park which officially opened in April 2022.
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.
Louisville, KY - The Churchill Downs horse racing venue is famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby, part of horse racing’s Triple Crown. This historic racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky features a one-mile, dirt oval main track that’s 120 feet wide and an inside 7/8ths of a mile turf track that’s 80 feet wide. To improve the turf track, they brought in one of the top turf experts in the country. Based on his analysis, one of the key issues with the turf was the lack of deep root growth which in turn, affected the strength and stability of the turf.
Fountain, CO - When flags and mock rifles are thrown and spun into the air, a gymnasium floor could take quite a beating without proper gym floor protection. During the 2023 construction of the new 4,000-seat, $40 million Trojan Arena for Colorado’s Fountain-Fort Carson High School, the contractor wanted maximum protection for the gym floor. It was essential that marks, dents, and other potential damage from multi-use events were avoided including from Winter Guard – the indoor color guard sport of U.S. schools, drum corps and marching bands.
Des Plaines, IL - Over the years since its inception in 1927, a church in Des Plaines, Illinois has had many names and buildings until settling into their current building in 2007. Two years later, they changed their name to The Bridge Community Church and in 2009, they completed a major renovation. Their attendance began to grow as they reached out to their community. As a result, the many programs held in their auditorium ranged from smaller groups to very large groups.
Longwood, FL - This year’s NCAA Division II Softball National Championships will take place at Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park in Longwood, Seminole County, Florida. Prior to this, 64 teams across the U.S. will compete in 16 regional sites in double-elimination tournaments. Winners advance to the super regionals to determine who moves on to the National Championships scheduled for May 17th to 25th at Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park’s six, 220-foot natural turf fields.
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.
Tuscaloosa, AL - Home of The University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team, Bryant–Denny Stadium is the 8th largest stadium in the United States and the 10th largest in the world. Opened in 1929, the stadium has seen many upgrades and improvements over the years. In 2023, plans were set in motion to change the more than 100 thousand-seat stadium’s playing field configuration and then apply new turf from one end of the field to the other.
Traverse city, MI - Located high up in north western Michigan, Traverse City is at the base of the East and West Arm of Traverse Bay which flows out to Lake Michigan. It’s home to Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) which oversees 10 elementary schools, two middle schools, a Montessori school, and three high schools – one of which provides alternative high school education. With over 8,000 students, TCAPS is dedicated to providing support for all learners in achieving their full potential.
Frankfurt, Germany - Located in Frankfurt, Germany, the German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund) or DFB oversees both the professional and semi-professional teams in the country. This includes five regional and 21 state associations of more than 25 thousand clubs. When they needed turf protection in one of their stadiums, they looked to COVERMASTER® for something that was cost efficient and at the same time, effective.