INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
One respondent interned as the only crew member for a collegiate summer league . “ I had a low budget , so I had to learn how to be resourceful and work with what I had . Since it was just me working on the field , I had to learn how to attack certain tasks and prioritize .”
“ Perfection is impossible to accomplish , rather consistency is what we should strive for ,” said yet another respondent regarding lessons learned . “ The season is a grind , mentally and physically . As a manager , you always have to be thinking about the field . Being a sports field manager truly is a lifestyle , you have to be bought in .”
why things are done while simultaneously doing those practices is what I feel sets ISU apart .”
Ninety-two percent of survey respondents indicated that they had a high level of success securing the internships they desired . For those who have done internships , there were a wide range of takeaways from those experiences .
Said one respondent , “ The biggest takeaways that I have gained from my internships are to work hard , pay attention , and that it ’ s okay to make some mistakes . But you have to learn from them and progressively make yourself better to reach your personal end goal .”
Added another , “ Have a love and passion for what you do , and don ’ t be afraid to ask for help . I have learned so much from some titans in the industry at the NFL level , and I always asked for advice and why things were done a certain way . Be a sponge willing to soak it all in and have fun with it .”
CONTINUING EDUCATION When it comes to industry education or other career development opportunities they would like to see , respondents had a lot of good suggestions , including :
More connection between students and recent graduates . More mentorship programs . SFMA classes or certificate programs geared toward those who have not / cannot get a 2- or 4-year degree , or people who have a degree in something related to turfgrass as opposed to an actual turf degree .
A budgeting course that covers structuring a budget , how to choose equipment based on the budget , etc .”
More sports-field-based irrigation and pesticide CEU opportunities .
An organized platform to learn cool- and warmseason grasses . More in-depth forums to share ideas . Infield maintenance education . Younger people presenting at conferences so younger crowds can relate .
Overall , these are some really good ideas that are realistic enough to be implemented . A mound maintenance / infield skin certification program could help combat the lack of education on such topics from a college degree .
DREAM JOB We also asked respondents what their dream job would be . Here is just a small sample of some of the responses : “ Head groundskeeper of an MLB team .” “ MLB head groundskeeper .” “ Major league groundskeeper .” “ Head groundskeeper ( NFL , MLS ).” “ Director of field operations for an MLB organization .”
20 SportsField Management | August 2024 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com