Waukegan field named Soccer Field of the Year

The Waukegan Sports Park Field #2 has been selected by the Sports Turf Managers Association as the 2012 Schools/Parks Soccer Field of the Year.

“The Field of the Year Award validates the intense dedication of our members,” said Kim Heck, CEO of the Sports Turf Managers Association, the sponsoring organization for the award. “The challenges that Noel Brusius faced and the innovative solutions he employed are truly amazing and award worthy. He and his crew are very deserving of this prestigious award for the Waukegan SportsPark’s Field #2.”

The award will be presented during the association’s annual awards banquet on Friday, Jan. 18, in Daytona Beach, Fla.

A panel of 11 judges independently score 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. The STMA Field of the Year Award program began in 1992 and awards are given for five types of fields: Baseball, Football, Soccer, Softball and Sporting Grounds. In each field type, awards may be given in three categories: Professional, Colleges and Universities, and Schools and Parks.

STMA is the not-for-profit, professional association for the men and women who manage sports fields. Its more than 2,500 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.