SOURCE: Foundation for Safer Athletic Fields for Everyone
(LAWRENCE, Kan.) – The Foundation for Safer Athletic Fields for Everyone (SAFE) – with the support from the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) – introduces its newest instructional video, providing the basics to creating safe and playable baseball and softball fields.
The complimentary video, titled Baseball and Softball Field Inspection, highlights recommendations for sports turf managers when maintaining natural grass, artificial turf and constructed soil surfaces.
SAFE is the charitable arm of STMA, the professional association for 2,600 men and women who manage sports fields worldwide. Its instructional series, titled “Sports and Recreation Fields, Safety First,” released its first three videos in April: Natural Grass Field Safety, Synthetic Turf Field Safety and Sports Facility and Equipment Safety.
The video outreach program aims to increase awareness and educate parents, players, coaches and volunteers about athletic field management. The latest installment examines how to identify unsafe surfaces – including skinned areas – and offers best practices specific to baseball and softball fields.
"The SAFE Foundation and its Board of Trustees recognize the tremendous need in local communities for safer and more sustainable sports fields,” says Kim Heck, SAFE Executive Director. "Preparing and preserving baseball and softball fields can be challenging; it's the responsibility of our organization to arm coaches, parents and players with the information needed to conduct a basic field evaluation before play begins."
Helpful tips include how to inspect packed dirt areas for ideal moisture conditions, managing wear-and-tear near the bases and conducting proper care for warning track areas.
The Sports and Recreation Fields, Safety First videos are the beginning of a five-year campaign for SAFE to increase outreach, award scholarships, fund educational programs and create partnerships with community members and industry organizations.
Ross Kurcab, former Denver Broncos Turf Manager for over 30 years and owner of Championship Turf Systems, is featured in the SAFE videos. He is the first person to earn the designation as a Certified Sports Field Manager from STMA. Dedicated to improving sports surfaces and facilities nationwide, Kurcab is an ideal spokesperson for the SAFE videos.
For more information: www.safefields.org, 800.323.3875.
About SAFE
The SAFE Foundation was established in 2000 to fund research, educational programs and scholarships geared to the sports field profession. SAFE is a 501(c)3 and is the charitable arm of the organization of the Sports Turf Managers Association and works to enrich communities through championing safe, sustainable sports and recreation fields for all athletes.
About STMA
STMA is the not-for-profit, professional association for men and women who manage sports fields worldwide. Since 1981, the association and its 34 local chapters have been providing education, information and sharing practical knowledge in the art and science of sports field management. Its more than 2,600 members oversee sports fields and facilities at schools, colleges and universities, parks and recreational facilities, and professional sports stadiums.
For more information: www.stma.org, 800.323.3875.
