While many in Virginia have been focused on March Madness, a team at Liberty University is quietly celebrating a victory. The school took top national honors for its turf grass.
Brian Hinkley has spent more than a decade on his game. As sports turf manager at Liberty University, he oversees a team of six who maintain 40 acres of grass and astro-turf
“For me it’s a daily thing being on the field whether it’s mowing it or even just walking it – kind of seeing what’s out there and what’s going on," he says.
Hinkley keeps a lookout for weeds and fungal infections, always sweating the details – making sure boundary lines are straight and crisp, that the grass is consistently thick and even. And one field is his pride and joy.
“The soccer field is a USGA-spec sand-based field, so it drains really well. It’s a latitude Bermuda grass which is over seeded with rye in the off season. Being in Virginia, in this part of the country we’re in what’s called the transition zone, so everything grows equally badly. There is no one perfect grass to grow year round where things will stay green, and that’s why we have to have a two-grass system,” he explains
And soccer is a sport where the grass makes a big difference.
“Because the ball rolls on the field," Hinkley says. "Sports like football, you know the field is mostly for footing, whereas in soccer it’s about the ball roll, and the ball bounce and the speed of play and things like that.”
Dozens of schools entered the competition, so Hinkley was thrilled when he learned Liberty’s soccer field took first place in the Collegian Field of the Year competition, given by the Sports Turf Manager’s Association. The prize – a trophy, three free nights at the group’s conference in Ft. Worth, and the chance to be featured in Sports Turf Magazine.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
