MORE THAN GRASS WITH ALPHA JONES

Integrity doesn’ t show up as a line item on a budget sheet, and it isn’ t something you can measure with a soil probe or a moisture meter. But anyone who’ s managed a sports field for more than a week knows it’ s the quality that shapes everything else. It’ s the quiet truth that follows you onto every field, in every email, and every conversation with a coach, colleague or crew member. It’ s the part of leadership that isn’ t flashy, but it’ s the foundation that makes people trust you with everything that matters.

In sports field management, integrity shows up in ways that most people never see. It’ s in the moments that never make it into“ Field of the Year” applications. It’ s choosing to do the right thing long before anyone is around to applaud it. Some days, it’ s as simple as walking back to put away a rake someone else left out. Other days, it’ s standing behind a decision that wasn’ t popular but was best for athlete safety. Integrity is the consistency between your words and your actions, even when there’ s pressure to take the shortcut.

The truth is that shortcuts always catch up to you— maybe not next game or next season, but eventually. A crew that sees you bend your standards will eventually do the same. A team member who hears you stretch the truth once will wonder if you’ ll do it again. A young assistant watching you navigate tough situations is learning, every time, what leadership really looks like. Whether they learn discipline or compromise depends on what you model.

Integrity is the thing that keeps you grounded when the job gets loud. And it does get loud. Fields get overused. Weather doesn’ t cooperate. Deadlines pile up. Someone wants the field open five minutes after a thunderstorm, and everyone wants the answer“ yes.” But integrity forces you to respond with what’ s true, not what’ s convenient. It means you explain why a field is unsafe instead of caving to pressure. It means you own your mistakes instead of hiding them. It means you treat every group the same way. Fairness isn’ t situational. Consistency isn’ t optional.

Integrity rarely feels heroic. Most of the time, it just feels like doing the job right. It’ s being honest about a timeline. It’ s telling your crew“ we’ re not cutting corners today”— even when they’ re tired, even when it’ s hot, even when skipping a step might go unnoticed.

Over time, that pattern becomes your rep. People trust you because they’ ve seen enough to know your“ default” is steady. They don’ t have to guess which version of you they’ re getting. That reliability shapes everything from how your staff communicates to how your administration supports you. Integrity isn’ t just personal; it becomes cultural. And culture is contagious.

A crew that sees their leader own a mistake learns that mistakes aren’ t the end of the world. A new team member who sees you walk the field everyday understands what professionalism actually looks like. Integrity is a domino that sets the expectation for the entire operation.

One of the hardest parts about integrity is that it makes you face yourself. It asks you to be honest about your weaknesses. It reminds you that leadership isn’ t just about knowing“ the work,” it’ s about knowing yourself. The job is physical, but the leadership part is deeply internal. You can’ t hide from the truth of your habits, and you shouldn’ t. Integrity forces you to align who you want to be with what you consistently do.

This matters even more when you consider the future of sports field management. Young professionals are watching closely. They’ re entering the industry at a time when expectations are high, staffing is tight, and visibility is greater than ever. They need leaders who show that integrity isn’ t outdated or optional— it’ s the stabilizer that keeps everything else functioning. They’ re learning whether this profession is worth giving themselves to long-term, and integrity is one of the things that convinces them it is.

Integrity is what protects your legacy. You don’ t have to be perfect; you just have to be consistent. You don’ t have to impress everyone; you just have to be honest with them. People may disagree with your decisions, but they’ ll respect the fairness behind them. And respect lasts longer than popularity ever will.

Integrity is the multiplier that makes your team stronger, your relationships smoother, and your operation more resilient. It’ s the reason people listen to you when things go wrong and it’ s the reason they follow you when things get better.

[ This article is part of an eight-part series on the Stolons of Leadership.]

Alpha Jones, CSFM, is an athletic field specialist at Duke University. He also serves on the SFMA Board of Directors as President-Elect. He can be reached at morthangrass @ gmail. com sportsfieldmanagementonline. com December 2025 | SportsField Management

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