INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
“ Head groundskeeper for an MLB / NFL team .”
As you can see , a common theme arose with this question — almost everyone wants to be a head groundskeeper for an MLB organization .
Said one respondent , “ Obviously , everyone that works in baseball wants to be a head groundskeeper for an MLB team . I would be lying if I said I didn ’ t . However , in reality , the dream job is to work for a team for multiple years and establish a foundation in a community . Be a well-known groundskeeper in the industry for what you did on your field . Yes , being the head guy for an MLB team is cool , but there is also value in being a wellrespected groundskeeper at whatever level .”
I think that quote sums it up perfectly . There are only 30 MLB head groundskeeper positions , and not everyone will get them . Personally , after experiencing life in the big leagues with two different teams and multiple seasons in MiLB , there ’ s something to be said about running your own show in the minors with a crew of high-school- and college-age people and giving them their first taste of working in the turf industry . Some will get bit by “ the bug ” and the industry grows . That ’ s what it ’ s all about .
A couple of our respondents indicated that they are already working their dream job :
“ I am honestly living my NFL dream right now . I have certain teams I would prefer to work for , but working for the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium is an amazing experience every day .”
“ I ’ m 20 and run field operations for a High-A MiLB team . As of right now I ’ m living my dream , the job is the job no matter where you do it .”
CONCERNS When asked about concerns entering a career in sports field management , work-life balance and compensation seem to be the two biggest concerns facing the industry .
Said one respondent , “ For work-life balance , it can be hard . When your field is actively being used for an in-season sport , it seems that you can never get away . You are either preparing
“ Compensation is by far my biggest fear . I fear my future family ’ s quality of living won ’ t be what I ’ d like it to be unless I become a head sports field manager .”
a field to actively be used later in the day , or if the team is away , you are preparing the field for the next time the team is in town or possible special events scheduled for your specific field . When you do have time to get away , you are still thinking about a million things that you could be doing , a million things that could go wrong , etc . In terms of compensation , I definitely believe that there is less compensation for our work compared to golf turf professionals . A lot of times I notice that individuals outside of the industry do not realize what we do on a day-to-day basis to make a field green and pretty while making sure it is safe for the athletes playing on our field . I feel if more people realized what we actually do , we would be compensated more fairly based on work done and not just experience or what they think the job is worth .”
Added another respondent , “ Work-life balance is a big concern for me . Even in internships I have struggled with burnout , and it takes a toll on the body mentally and physically . It makes me nervous just starting out in my career that it could get worse .”
Said another , “ Work / life balance for sure , as well as compensation . Not being able to get an adequate amount of staff for the site you are overseeing . Whether that ’ s no applicants or no money to pay for employees . Low budgets made by people who don ’ t know how turf works , etc .”
One respondent expressed concerns at being able to afford the cost of living near their field / facility . “ Big sports teams are in big cities , which have high costs of living , so being close to the team depends on decent wages .”
- Jakob Scales
Work-life balance is going to be what it is . There ’ s just a different mindset needed as a field manager , specifically a head one . During the growing season , that field is going to require a lot of attention . There ’ s no way around it . When you choose to become sportsfieldmanagementonline . com August 2024 | SportsField Management
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