The Columbus Crew Soccer Stadium, in Columbus, Ohio, was a 2013 winner of a Field of the Year Award given out by the Sports Turf Managers Association. Since 1981, the association and its 34 local chapters have been providing education and information and sharing practical knowledge in the art and science of sports field management. Its members oversee sports fields and facilities at schools, colleges and universities, parks and recreational facilities, and professional sports stadiums.

The Sports Turf Managers Association , a professional association for over 2,600 men and women worldwide, recently announced the winners for the 2013 Field of the Year Awards.


Since 1992, the awards are annually given to members who manage baseball, football, softball, soccer and other sporting grounds at the professional and collegiate level, and at schools and parks.


A panel of 16 judges independently scored entries based on playability, appearance of surfaces, utilization of innovative solutions, effective use of budget and implementation of a comprehensive agronomic program.


The 2013 winners are:
Professional:
Baseball – Isotopes Park, Albuquerque, N.M., Casey Griffin, Director of Field Operations;
Soccer - Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, Weston Appelfeller, Director of Grounds

College and University:
Baseball - Kobs Field, McLane Baseball Stadium at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich., Jared Knoodle, Groundskeeper, Amy Fouty, CSFM, Athletic Turf Manager;
Football - Leslie Frazier Field at Trinity International University, Deerfield, Ill., Andy Yeaman, Grounds Supervisor;
Softball - Florida Atlantic University Softball Stadium, Boca Raton, Fla., Ken Czerniak, Sports Turf Manager;
Soccer - Championship Field at Seattle University, Seattle, Wash., Kevin White, Athletic Fields Supervisor

Schools and Parks:
Baseball - The Steward School Baseball Field, Richmond, Va., Mark Roberts, Athletic Turf & Field Manager
Football - Middle Division Football Field at Milton Hershey School, Hershey, Pa., Joe Barrand, Jason Bowers, CSFM, Sports Turf Managers;
Softball - Lady Panthers Softball Field at Park Hill South, Kansas City, Mo., Eric Jones, Head Groundskeeper;
Soccer - The Jungle at Louisa County High School, Mineral, Va., Michael Hopkins, Turfgrass Science Instructor / Sports Turf Manager;
Sporting Grounds - Infinity Park, Glendale, Colo., Noel Harryman, Manager of Turf Operations

"The Field of the Year Award is a dedication to our members who have an intense passion to provide the finest playing surfaces for athletes of all ages and abilities," says Kim Heck, CEO of STMA. "Each day, they face new challenges and the novel solutions and state-of-the-art technologies they employ are truly amazing."

Winning fields will be featured in a 2014 issue of Sports Turf Magazine.


Awards will be presented at the 25th STMA Conference & Exhibition in San Antonio, Tex. Jan. 21-24, 2014.