FIELD OF THE YEAR PROFESSIONAL SOCCER
SportsField Management ( SFM ): Congratulations once again on the winning field . What are you most proud of with this win ? Dan Farnes : Thanks ! It was special to be able to win the award while everyone was in our hometown for the SFMA conference . I ’ m proud of my staff for the many hours they put in each year to make these fields safe and enjoyable to play on for all the different teams . It ’ s also cool to be able to show off the award to fans , our bosses and owners because they are really proud of us as well .
SFM : You won the 2019 Professional Soccer Field of the Year Award with this field . What are some of the unique challenges you faced this time around with America First Field ? Farnes : Weather is our biggest challenge here in Utah . We have all four seasons — with temperatures ranging from -10 ° to 110 ° — that brings snow , rain , wind , drought and everything in between . That makes it difficult for us to plan maintenance , because the weather changes frequently and sometimes without warning . It forces us to use a couple different weather apps / reports to make the best choices we can . I even have a local weatherman on speed dial to get his real-time opinions and updates .
SFM : What is the best part of your job or what aspects do you enjoy the most ? Farnes : I love being outside and especially mowing the stadium field . The sense of accomplishment I feel seeing the players walk out on our field fills me with pride . There aren ’ t many jobs out there where you can see professional athletes use the product you work on all week and ( hopefully ) be successful on it by winning games and championships . I love solving problems and being able to plan and execute events that utilize the product we produce all year . The people at the club are great , and I have sportsfieldmanagementonline . com December 2023 | SportsField Management
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