FIELD OF THE YEAR COLLEGE FOOTBALL
knew I could gain some turfgrass knowledge there . Then I took a leap of faith and moved to Charlotte after accepting an opportunity as a maintenance and operations technician for Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation . Little did I know that opportunity would eventually turn into my current role as maintenance and operations supervisor for the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex and American Legion Memorial Stadium .
SFM : Who are your mentors in the industry , and / or what is the best piece of advice you have received ? Waszak : My mentors from this industry are the two guys who took a chance on me bringing me to Charlotte — Preston Buckman and Winston James . They were the original managers at the Sportsplex , and set a very high standard for what this place needed to be . I cannot thank them enough for sticking with me and allowing me to grow as a manager , as well as the knowledge and support they have provided over the past five years . When it comes to the best piece of advice , to give some background , I have a bad habit of saying “ It is what it is .” I ’ m working on fixing that after being told that it isn ’ t “ what it is ,” it ’ s what you make of it . This has truly been beneficial to me because things don ’ t always go our way , but there are often ways we can improve a situation through action .
SFM : What are the biggest challenges you have faced with the winning field , and how have you approached those challenges ?
sportsfieldmanagementonline . com August 2023 | SportsField Management
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