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by Rick Misuraca
There is an expression in field maintenance
that says 'turf grows by the inch and dies by the foot'.
The better the condition of our fields
means the more play they can take, the less they'll be closed for rain
and the safer they'll be for the players. There are a few simple things
a coach can do to keep the fields in top shape.
The first thing is to move the play
around on the field during practice. If there is a section of the field
that has thick healthy turf then just move the drills over to that area.
The second thing is to move the practice
goals out of the center of the field for practice. Most of the wear will
appear as a strip of bare soil from goal to goal. Moving the practice
goals to the side 10 or 15 yards or even across or diagonally to the
field will help greatly.
The third thing is to watch your players.
Digging holes in the field with their cleats or vandalism should be
dealt with by the coach immediately and a strong message sent to your
players that this is dangerous and unacceptable.
The last thing is to have the team pick
up trash after a practice or game. This is a great message to send to
the players, that we take pride in our fields, that we take care of our
fields. And that's why our fields are the best around.
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