SiteOne, Geoponics and Field Source Team up to Get Football Field TV-Ready with Endurant Turf Colorant
Part One of a Two Part Series: Interview with Field Source Owner & SiteOne Customer Ryan DeMay
Football field grass paint for TV. Days before the first football game of the season to be televised on ESPN, field manager Ryan DeMay spotted a problem with the turfgrass.
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SiteOne, Geoponics and Field Source use team work to get football field TV ready using Endurant turf colorant.[/caption]
The
Pickerington Ohio teams and the turfgrass field were to be highlighted during the
2020 GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff. The series was getting a lot of attention as officials were deciding whether the season would begin on time during the Covid 19 pandemic and included
Pickerington's Division 1 State Champs.
Whether high school, college or professional football, the look and play of the field are critical and Endurant provides an edge for getting TV-ready and tournament-ready turfgrass that holds up to the scrutiny of demanding audiences and high definition TV.
“I had discoloration on the field that had started within 48 hours or less of what was going to be the first game of the season,” said DeMay. “Then, I learn it was going to be broadcast nationally on ESPN. The stakes were high. I knew how the field needed to look and play with that audience,” said DeMay.
DeMay, owner and principle with
Field Source sports field management and a part-time City of Columbus employee, sought to get his field TV-ready.
He reached out to Andy McCormick of
SiteOne landscape supply for ideas.
McCormick, a former golf course superintendent and current SiteOne salesperson, along with DeMay, who works with parks, school systems, universities and sports complex operators to construct and maintain fields, knew what to do.
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Endurant FW applied to an Ohio football field provides TV-ready turf conditions.[/caption]
DeMay applied Endurant on a Bermuda grass field used for football and soccer toward the end of the season a year prior. The school district outside of Columbus was pleased with the aesthetics and playability of the field treated with Endurant.
So DeMay reached out to gather technical guidance about applying Endurant specific to the conditions and the goals on the Pickerington field to get it TV-ready in no time. DeMay didn’t realize at first that he was not speaking with a sales rep but rather with the maker of Endurant,
Geoponics.
“It was a genuine response to reach out and try to help me. I thought that was pretty cool,” said DeMay.
“We discussed all the particulars. I’m a detail-oriented person. If there is any tactic or trick I need to know, I’m going to do it,” he added. “I picked every square inch of his brain,” said DeMay.
Then, he applied Endurant FW in two coats, starting with one coat at a gallon and a half.
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Sports field manager gets game day ready turf using Endurant FW colorant in time for football season opener on ESPN.[/caption]
“It was just perfect. The discoloration started to heal away a little bit and the field looked perfect,” he said.
The colorant helped draw heat on the Bermuda for agronomic improvements.
“Between that and the colorant on the field, it just looked immaculate, as good as it ever looked,” exclaimed DeMay.
Considerations of Using Endurant: Avoiding Uniform Stains
“A significant concern of ours was uniform transfer— getting product on the uniforms,” said DeMay.
The team held practices and then knew it was going to work. They could avoid the concern. The uniforms wouldn’t have a green paint or any other apparent use of Endurant.
“The day of the game, it was all perfect,” said DeMay.
[Check out this blog about a University study on Endurant and other colorants staining uniforms and clothes
here.]
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Testing uniform transfer of the turf colorant was an important factor in choosing Endurant for the Pickerington team as the game aired on ESPN. Credit: PCTigerFootball.com[/caption]
Application of Endurant: Rain & Results
After choosing
Endurant FW for the ideal shade of green to match the turfgrass, application rates were considered.
Two coats were applied at a gallon and half rate per acre each.
After the first coat was applied, unexpected rain came that was not in the forecast.
“A freak storm pounds us with over an inch of rain 20 minutes after painting,” DeMay exclaimed.
“ I thought we lost it all,” he said.
After waiting for it to dry to see the actual results, the color lasted more than expected given it didn’t have the chance to fully dry before the rain.
“But we just lost a little bit of color. It looked a little darker after it dried,” said DeMay.
Then, they put the second application out.
“It was just spectacular,” he said. “Especially for TV— the cameras pick up everything.”
Perhaps no one would be as critical of the field as DeMay would be.
“Everyone else is watching the highlight reel of the play and we’d be like, ‘damn there’s that spot again,’” said DeMay, adding he was relieved to avoid that concern completely.
Endurant’s reputation continues.
“It’s one thing to have a great product but to have great service and support, well I work with a lot of people and deal with a lot of things, and that’s rare,” said DeMay.
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UAB Legion Field: Endurant turf colorants enhance professional athletic fields such as University of Alabama's Birmingham soccer field Credit: UABSports.com[/caption]
Endurant Builds Reputation for Best Product, Best Service
Once one school or professional team paints, other teams will often wonder how to get such a good-looking field. Endurant catches on.
“The school, they knew what we did. We were transparent about what we were doing. In crisis management 101, communicate, over-communicate, and communicate some more,” said DeMay.
“
Agronomically, we knew the grass would bounce back, but it might not be in time for that game,” said DeMay.
“After using Endurant, the playability was still there, but the presentation and appearance of it were just off the charts, just amazing,” he exclaimed
While there are many brands to select from, Endurant looks natural and the exceptional service adds value.
“The reputation and stature of the golf courses and sports turf managers using Endurant stands out. The other piece is the product support,” said DeMay.
