A definitive how-to book for every practitoner of sports turf -- from football to baseball to soccer and everything in between. Sports Fields covers every important aspect of planning, design, construction, and turfgrass maintenance with hundreds of illustrations and step-by-step procedures to help you get the job done right -- first time, every time. No other book provides such intricate detail, combined with easy-to-understand guidance.

West Virginia's championship teams at WVU and Marshall and athletic superstars like Jerry West and Mary Lou Retton are familiar to all, but few know the untold story of sports in the Mountain State. Hillside Fields: A History of Sports in West Virginia chronicles the famous athletic triumphs and heart-breaking losses of local heroes and legendary teams, recording the titanic struggles of a small state competing alongside larger rivals. Hillside Fields provides a broad view of the development of sports in West Virginia, from one of the first golf clubs in America at Oakhurst Links to the Greenbrier Classic; from the first girls basketball championship in 1919 to post Title IX; from racially segregated sports to integrated teams; and from the days when West Virginia Wesleyan and Davis & Elkins beat the big boys in football to the championship teams at WVU, Marshall, West Virginia State and West Liberty. Hillside Fields explains how major national trends and events, as well as West Virginia's economic, political, and demographic conditions, influenced the development of sports in the state. The story of the growth of sports in West Virginia is also a story of the tribulations, hopes, values and triumphs of a proud people.

The completely updated edition of the definitive sports field book Recognizing that new developments in the design, construction, and maintenance of sports fields have literally changed the playing field, Sports Fields, Second Edition is now fully updated and revised to continue its legacy as a leading authority on sports field management. Highly illustrated, with step-by-step examination of essential topics such as turfgrass and soil science, sand fields, turf paints, field quality evaluation, and weather preparedness, this in-depth guide chalks out the ultimate game plan to integrate these elements into a winning project. Sports Fields, Second Edition includes: New coverage of environmental stewardship and resource conservation, natural and organic field maintenance, and artificial turf care and maintenance Discussion of the following field types: baseball, softball, football, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, tennis, and track and field Updated information on grasses, pesticides, fertilizers, and equipment New exploration of green initiatives in the design and maintenance of fields Hundreds of illustrations, 50 percent of which are newly updated A versatile how-to guide, Sports Fields, Second Edition suggests solutions to common field problems that are not only helpful for professional sports turf practitioners, but also for park and recreation professionals, school athletic field managers, architects, landscape architects, and engineers. Chapter after chapter delivers on the promise of imparting well-grounded principles that can be applied to create athletic fields that are long-lasting, visually dazzling—and eminently playable.

The huge chemical arsenal once available to turf managers for pest, weed and disease control has slowly but surely been restricted or regulated. As a result alternative methods have had to be sought. This text aims to liberate the modern turf manager from dependency on chemical treatments through suggestions you can adapt to specific field types, climatic zones, and desired appearance. Author Paul Sachs offers safety for people and animals, as well as longevity for the land, without sacrificing the quality of the turf itself. Written for turf managers who need to reduce or eliminate chemical pesticides and fertilisers in their turfgrass management processes. Offers advice and practical steps to earth-conscious turf managers, and those who are responding to the growing chorus of concerns about fertilisers and pesticides. Covers the basics of soil fertility, composting, methods of soil analysis, cultural practices and pests.

" America is in the midst of a sports building boom. Professional sports teams are demanding and receiving fancy new playing facilities that are heavily subsidized by government. In many cases, the rationale given for these subsidies is that attracting or retaining a professional sports franchise--even a minor league baseball team or a major league pre-season training facility--more than pays for itself in increased tax revenues, local economic development, and job creation. But are these claims true? To assess the case for subsidies, this book examines the economic impact of new stadiums and the presence of a sports franchise on the local economy. It first explores such general issues as the appropriate method for measuring economic benefits and costs, the source of the bargaining power of teams in obtaining subsidies from local government, the local politics of attracting and retaining teams, the relationship between sports and local employment, and the importance of stadium design in influencing the economic impact of a facility. The second part of the book contains case studies of major league sports facilities in Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, San Francisco, and the Twin Cities, and of minor league stadiums and spring training facilities in baseball. The primary conclusions are: first, sports teams and facilities are not a source of local economic growth and employment; second, the magnitude of the net subsidy exceeds the financial benefit of a new stadium to a team; and, third, the most plausible reasons that cities are willing to subsidize sports teams are the intense popularity of sports among a substantial proportion of voters and businesses and the leverage that teams enjoy from the monopoly position of professional sports leagues. "

Beard's Turfgrass Encyclopedia is the latest body of work from internationally renowned turfgrass agronomist James B Beard. Containing the complete A-to-Z of turfgrass, this quintessential tome encompasses both cultural practice from across a broad range of uses (such as golf courses, lawns, parks, roadsides, and sports fields), as well as the scientific aspects of turfgrasses and their culture (as used by educators, researchers, and scholars). The format provides a comprehensive reference in diagnosing and solving practical problems in the "real world." The range of subjects includes the spectrum of grass species and cultivars, ecology, physiology, soils, microenvironments, cultural practices, entomology, pathology, pest management, and equipment. Beard's Turfgrass Encyclopedia is applicable worldwide.

a design and construction guide for pickleball courts

At a time when people are living into their tenth decade, the longest longitudinal study of human development ever undertaken offers welcome news for old age: our lives evolve in our later years and often become more fulfilling. Reporting on all aspects of male life Triumphs of Experience shares a number of surprising findings.

Finalist • PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing “An inventive, fast-paced look at what have become our modern shrines in a sports-obsessed society.” —Tom Verducci In this “addictive” (Publishers Weekly) romp, intrepid sportswriter Rafi Kohan finagles access to our most beloved fields to find out just what makes them tick: from old-timer Wrigley, creakily adjusting to the twenty-first century, to the oversized monstrosity of Jerry’s World in Dallas. Investigating harrowing logistics and deeply ingrained traditions, Kohan employs his infectious “wit and style” (Christian Science Monitor) to expose the realities of building and maintaining these commercial cathedrals of sports worship. “Highly compelling” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), The Arena is a must-read for superfans, shameless bandwagoners, athletes, groundskeepers, culture junkies, and anyone who’s ever headed off eagerly to the ballpark to catch a game.