Management schedules | Sports field management

Field use:	Resource management:
Spring only	High	Medium	Minimal
Fall only	High	Medium	Minimal
Spring and fall	High	Medium	Minimal
Year-round	High	Medium	Minimal

Management schedules are approximate “ideal” timing for specific practices. These timings will be adjusted based on weather conditions, soil type, and field use.

How to use these seasonal field management schedules

First decide the management level you use on your fields. Are you able to provide high, medium or minimal management?

Schools and community parks are able to provide different levels of field maintenance based on their budget and the resources on hand that include labor (knowledge and experience), equipment and products. Other factors play into shifting resources, such as desired quality, type of field and use (practice vs game fields).

Evaluate your situation and determine if you are more likely to describe your field maintenance program as high, medium or minimal/low management.

General seasonal management schedules are available for spring sports, fall sports, spring and fall sports and year ’round sports. The operations listed on these schedules will need to be fine-tuned over time based on the particular field, your goals, results, observations, climatic conditions, etc.

	High Management Fields	Medium Management Fields	Minimal Management Fields
Field Expectations	High safety Very high visual quality	High safety Reasonably high visual quality	High safety Good visual quality
Grounds Manager	Educated in sports field management and experienced	Experienced with some education in sports field management	Knowledge and experience may be limited
Staff	Adequate staffing	Adequate but could use more	Limited support for field work
Equipment	Have all that is needed including : mowers, spreaders, aerifiers, rollers, irrigation system	Have mowers, spreaders, aerifiers, the ability to provide irrigation	Have the basics: mowers and spreader
Products	All products necessary for a high quality field	Fertilizer, seed and occasionally topdressing materials	Fertilizer and some seed
Budget	Beyond adequate for products, equipment and soil testing services	Adequate for products and equipment, possibly soil testing services	Limited to only the basics, mowing and possibly fertilizing

Calendar views of field management schedules [.pdf]

Field use:	Resource management:
Spring only	High	Medium	Minimal
Fall only	High	Medium	Minimal
Spring and fall	High	Medium	Minimal
Year-round	High	Medium	Minimal