It’s all in the look. That’s why Casey Griffin, Director of Field Operations for the Albuquerque Isotopes (Albuquerque, N.M.), the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies has been awarded the inaugural Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) “Stars and Stripes” honor. To celebrate July 4th and showcase individual fields and their patriotic designs, STMA developed an award that generated national engagement.
With his elegant field design, he won a complimentary pass to the 28th annual STMA Conference & Exhibition, to be held at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. January 24-27, 2017.
In its first year, more than 20 submissions were received from across the country. The winner was selected through Facebook’s voting platform and Griffin’s intricate design at Isotopes Park generated nearly 500 “Likes.”
“Casey is an industry trailblazer and is a great representation of the creativity by sports turf managers using natural grass athletic fields as their canvas,” says Kim Heck, CEO of STMA. “His expertise at Isotopes Park is visually appealing, while also providing a safe, playable surface for the professional athletes who utilize it.”
A native of Salem, Ore., Griffin has won several industry accolades including STMA’s 2013 “Field of the Year” award for professional baseball and Pacific Coast League’s 2014 “Sports Turf Manager of the Year.”
“STMA’s inaugural ‘Stars and Stripes’ contest is a unique opportunity to support our country through patriotic field designs,” says Griffin, now in his seventh season with the Isotopes. “We consider ourselves the ‘Directors of First Impressions’ for millions of sports fans across the U.S. and hope this contest inspires other industry colleagues to express themselves through unique paint and mowing patterns.”
Griffin’s winning submission will also be included in a future online issue of SportsTurf, STMA’s official monthly publication.
STMA is the not-for-profit, professional association for men and women who manage sports fields worldwide. Since 1981, the association and its 34 local chapters have been providing education, information and sharing practical knowledge in the art and science of sports field management. Its more than 2,600 members oversee sports fields and facilities at schools, colleges and universities, parks and recreational facilities, and professional sports stadiums.
