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Sports Turf Management: Best Practices
  • Level Foundation
  • Duration 8 hours
  • Course by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
  • Offered by

About

The Sports Turf Management: Best Practices course will cover the construction, management, and challenges in maintaining athletic fields intended for football, soccer, and baseball. You will learn the fundamental management practices for maintaining athletic fields, such as fertilization, irrigation, mowing, and pest control. An overview of athletic field construction, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of native soil versus modified soil fields, will be provided. Lastly, you will explore the effects of traffic and compaction on athletic fields and the development of artificial turf. This course is a non-credit course that is part of the College of ACES suite of online programs. To learn more about online programs from the College of ACES and explore ways to apply your work toward a degree program at the University of Illinois, visit: https://aces.illinois.edu/online.

Modules

Course Introduction

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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1 Videos

  • The History of Sports is Turf

2 Readings

  • Course Introduction
  • Instructor Profile

Interviewee Introductions

    • 3 Videos
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3 Videos

  • Soldier Field Introduction
  • Jets Field Introduction
  • Getting into the Sports Turf Business

MODULE 1 | Introduction

    • 1 Readings
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1 Readings

  • Module 1 | Introduction

LESSON 1.1 | Athletic Field Drainage

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • 1.1 | Athletic Field Drainage

LESSON 1.2 | Soil

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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3 Videos

  • 1.2 | Soil
  • 1.2a | Natural Soil Fields
  • 1.2b | Modified Soil Fields

1 Readings

  • 1.2c | Construction of Sand-based, Natural Grass Athletic Fields

LESSON 1.3 | Other Considerations

    • 2 Videos
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2 Videos

  • 1.3a | Jets Field: Turf Species and Varieties
  • 1.3b | Other Field Designs

Module 1 | Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Module 1 | Quiz

MODULE 2 | Introduction

    • 1 Readings
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1 Readings

  • Module 2 | Introduction

LESSON 2.1 | Maintenance Practices

    • 4 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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4 Videos

  • 2.1a | Mowing
  • 2.1b | Irrigation
  • 2.1c | Fertility
  • 2.1e | Pest Management

1 Readings

  • 2.1d | Cultivation

LESSON 2.2 | Challenges of Athletic Field Maintenance

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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2 Videos

  • 2.2a | Soldier Field: Use and Maintenance
  • 2.2b | Jets Field: Challenges and Responsibilities

1 Readings

  • 2.2c | 7 Habits of Poor Sports Turf Managers

MODULE 2 | Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Module 2 | Quiz

MODULE 3 | Introduction

    • 1 Readings
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1 Readings

  • Module 3 | Introduction

LESSON 3.1 | Traffic, Compaction, & Wear Tolerance

    • 3 Videos
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3 Videos

  • 3.1 | Traffic, Compaction, & Wear Tolerance
  • 3.1a | Soldier Field: Crew and Challenges
  • 3.1b | Jets Field: Player Safety

LESSON 3.2 | Managing Traffic and Compaction

    • 4 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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4 Videos

  • 3.2 | Managing Traffic and Compaction
  • 3.2b | Soldier Field: Sod and Topdressing
  • 3.2c | Soldier Field: Technology and Machines
  • 3.2d | Jets Field: Traffic

1 Readings

  • 3.2a | Breaking Up is Hard to Do: Why it's Important to Decompact Your Fields

MODULE 3 | Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Module 3 | Quiz

MODULE 4 | Introduction

    • 1 Readings
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1 Readings

  • Module 4 | Introduction

LESSON 4.1 | History and Evolution of Artificial Turf

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • 4.1 | History and Evolution of Artificial Turf

LESSON 4.2 | Artificial Turf Maintenance

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • 4.2 | Artificial Turf Maintenance

1 Readings

  • 4.2a | Synthetic Turf Best Management Practices

LESSON 4.3 | Impacts of Artificial Turf

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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2 Videos

  • 4.3a | Injury Concerns on Artificial Turf
  • 4.3c | Player Preference

1 Readings

  • 4.3b | Why The NFL's approach to Field Surfaces is Uneven

LESSON 4.4 | Artificial Turf vs. Natural Turf Costs

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • 4.4 | Artificial Turf vs. Natural Turf Costs

MODULE 4 | Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Module 4 | Quiz

Supplementary Readings & Resources

    • 2 Readings
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2 Readings

  • Supplementary Readings & Resources
  • Sports Turf Management Slides (PDF)

Case Study Analysis

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Case Study: Diagnosis

1 Videos

  • Case Study: "Something's Rotten in this Field"

2 Readings

  • Case Study: Part 1
  • Case Study: How Water Moves Through Soil

Final Assessment

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Final Assessment

1 Readings

  • Congratulations!

Auto Summary

Sports Turf Management: Best Practices focuses on maintaining athletic fields for football, soccer, and baseball. Offered by Coursera and instructed by experts from the College of ACES, this foundational course covers fertilization, irrigation, mowing, pest control, and turf construction. Over 480 hours, explore native vs. modified soils, traffic impact, and artificial turf development. Available through Starter and Professional subscriptions, it's perfect for aspiring sports turf managers and enthusiasts in Science & Engineering.

Bruce Branham
Instructor

Bruce Branham