Facility Named Field Of The Year…

Simmons Field at Taylor Stadium, the home of the Mizzou baseball team, has been named 2011 College and University Baseball Field of the Year by the Sports Turn Managers Association (STMA), as announced by the STMA. The field is maintained and cared for by Mizzou Turf Specialist Josh McPherson and his staff.

“Each year, evaluating the applicant pool is very difficult,” said Allen Johnson, CSFM, STMA Awards Committee Chairman. “The quality of the applicants continues to improve and this year’s winners truly deserved the award.”

“The Field of the Year Award validates the intense dedication of our members,” said Kim Heck, CEO of the Sports Turf Managers Association. “Each year STMA awards no more than 14 Fields of the Year, so a very small percentage of our members are winners. Josh McPherson and his crew are very deserving of this prestigious award for Simmons Field at Taylor Stadium,” says Heck.

The STMA Field of the Year Award program began in 1992. There are five field types for which awards may be given: Baseball, Football, Soccer, Softball and Sporting Grounds. For each field type, awards may be given in three categories: Professional, College and University, and Schools and Parks. This year there were a total of eleven awards presented.

A panel of six judges independently scored each entry based on the playability and appearance of the playing surfaces, innovative solutions employed, effective use of budget, and the development and implementation of a comprehensive, sound agronomic program.

Each Field of the Year winner receives complimentary registration to the 2012 STMA Conference and Exhibition, three nights lodging, and signature clothing for the award winners and their staff. The winning fields will also be featured in a 2012 article in SportsTurf Magazine, the industry’s premier publication.

STMA is the not-for-profit, professional association for the men and women who manage sports fields. Its more than 2,600 members oversee sports fields and facilities at schools, colleges and universities, parks and recreational facilities, and professional sports stadiums. Their goal is to manage natural turf and synthetic surfaces to produce safe and aesthetically pleasing playing surfaces for athletes at all levels of playing abilities. Since 1981, the association and its dozens of local chapters have been providing education, information and sharing practical knowledge in the art and science of sports field management. Visit STMA’s website at www.stma.org to learn more.

(MU Release)