With warmer temperatures this week and spring seemingly arriving early, the grounds crew for Regional School Unit 14 is starting the elaborate process of readying the fields for the next athletics season.

But the fields are already in good shape, and have awards to prove it. Two of Windham’s athletic fields have been recognized nationally as “fields of excellence” by Pioneer Athletics for the 2014-2015 season.

Earlier this year, the stadium and softball fields were awarded two of 82 awards given across the country. This is the third time that the stadium field, which hosts soccer, lacrosse, football, field hockey and track, was bestowed the award, and the first year that the softball field was recognized.

The awards are based on an application sent to a panel of judges for Pioneer Athletics, a company that sells turf paint for athletic fields. The application includes photographs of the facilities throughout the season and a maintenance plan for the fields.

The maintenance of the fields is more involved than most people realize, according to Mike DiDonato, grounds coordinator. It’s a year-round job that includes mowing, seeding and watering the grass, and a technique called aerating that pokes holes in the turf to allow air and moisture into the ground.

A number of former high school athletes have come back to work for the grounds crew during the summer, and DiDonato said they’re usually “shocked to see what happens before the game.” Preparing the fields for a game can take anywhere from two to five hours, depending on the weather, which DiDonato said is “a real eye-opener for the players.”

DiDonato himself is an ex-athlete, so he said he takes a special interest in the best ways to care for the fields.

“I’m always looking to get better,” he said.

Travis Demmons, coach of the softball team, said he was excited to hear the grounds crew was recognized for their work.

Demmons said the crew “worked extremely hard during the pre-season to get us out on the field earlier than most teams in the region. Then they continued to work hard as we drove toward the playoffs and when we hosted Gorham in the preliminary game, the field was immaculate. Due to Mike and his crew’s hard work, we are lucky to have one of the nicest fields in the State, including college facilities.”

The condition of the fields is also an important factor in helping the girls reach their peak performance, Demmons said.

“They know on our field that they can go 100 percent after a fly ball and not worry about falling into a hole in the outfield,” he said, adding that the fields were a contributing factor in the team’s 7-2 record last season.

“For kids to know their facilities are being recognized, it’s a true honor,” said Richard Drummond, the athletic director. “It makes them proud knowing people put in the time and effort to make sure the facilities are safe and look presentable.”

DiDonato is one of two people in the state to be certified in sports field management by the Sports Turf Managers Association, a title that requires a combination of education, work experience, and a passing test grade. He regularly attends conferences in field turf management and care, and attended a summit hosted by the New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation earlier this month.

The grounds coordinator said he plans to apply a method that was discussed at the conference on the turf field this year – a technique called “aeravating” that pokes holes in the field to allow growth without pulling pesky weeds to the surface.

The technique will significantly reduce the use of pesticides, he said, which is good for the school’s carbon footprint.

DiDonato has been working on athletic fields for 16 years, and this summer will mark his 10th year at Windham.

“I don’t view it as a job,” he said. “I enjoy showing up for work.”