FIELD OF THE YEAR SCHOOLS AND PARKS FOOTBALL
There have also been several people in this industry who have been mentors to me from afar . Through social media , sitting under their teaching in school , a seminar or a quick meeting at a trade show . So many have taught me so much , and I ’ ve benefited greatly from it .
SFM : Who are your mentors in the industry , and / or what is the best piece of advice you have received ? Horsley : My biggest mentor has been Brian Hinkley . He ’ s always supported my efforts , and has given me autonomy to take the reins ( at times even at the expense of failure ). So many of the practices in this industry are learned through trial and error , and he ’ s been great about letting me learn that way , then talking me through it later on .
SFM : What are the biggest challenges you have faced with the winning field , and how have you approached those challenges ? Horsley : The biggest challenges I experienced with the field all stemmed from the events I mentioned earlier ; the winterkill and the Independence Day event made it nearly impossible . I think the hardest thing for me was having to change up what I was used to doing agronomically to do what was best for the turf . When I sprayed out the ryegrass in June there was maybe 50-60 % bermudagrass coverage ... maybe . So instead of “ beating up ” my bermudagrass last summer , I was out there babying it , trying to encourage any growth I could get without removing any plant material that might grow a shoot of grass . I don ’ t know how many sportsfieldmanagementonline . com April 2023 | SportsField Management
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