IMPERIAL, Texas — Springtime athletics can be best described as the peak crossover season.
One day, there's baseball or softball. Another day, track and golf.
And during this busy springtime, there is a heavy load for groundskeepers around the Permian Basin, with some turning to new technology for extra help.
"It encourages them. They come out here and say, 'Ah man, our field looks so nice.' They want to come out here and win that game," Buena Vista ISD maintenance/transportation director Sergio Colunga said.
The popular sports motto, "Look good, feel good, play good," is one that Colunga takes seriously with a little bit of help from the Turf Tank.
"It's just lines. Maybe some painting of the numbers, but those never came out good. Now that I have this machine, we've changed out our logo. I can do all the numbers, all the hashmarks, coaches box, any extra lettering," Colunga said.
Buena Vista ISD has been using the Turf Tank for almost two years, and it has completely transformed the field maintenance process. It's simple, too. The machine is GPS-guided and controlled by instructions on a tablet.
"Once we set all of my points, then from there I can set it to do whatever I need it to do. Whether it's discus. Whether it's shot put. Once we have that one set GPS point, the skies are the limit," Colunga said.
This has brought an extra sense of pride. The field means more than just lines. That's the "why" behind the use of the Turf Tank in Imperial.
"Having that smile on these kids. When they come out here and say, 'We're going to defend this field.' That's probably what brings me more joy than just having the machine here itself," Colunga said.
These Turf Tank machines are working alongside maintenance professionals in a handful of cities locally and across the country and are behind the scenes of some great sporting events.