PROFILE
Little League Softball World Series crew
even further for the people behind them ,” she said . “ And that goes for emerging professionals no matter the gender . I ’ m just hoping to get the word out , increase awareness and open up the possibilities .”
Roesslein said she is thrilled to see the progress that has been made in the sports field management profession with regard to diversity , equity and inclusion ; knows there is more progress to be made ; and is excited that it ’ s something to which SFMA is dedicated .
“ For anyone who is interested in working outside , regardless of gender , background or ethnicity , it ’ s a fantastic profession ,” she said . “ I love going to work every day , and I think I ’ m one of the lucky ones that gets to say that .”
FOUNDATIONAL ROOTS Roesslein grew up in Prescott , Ariz ., and began playing softball at the age of 8 – a playing career that spanned all the way through college . According to Roesslein , softball was a wonderful part of her life .
“ I learned some incredible lessons on the field that I still think about to this day ,” she said .
U . S . Women ’ s Open
North Area Athletic Complex soccer field
Despite Roesslein ’ s love of sports , her interest in sports field management as a career did not start early .
“ Prescott is not really agricultural ,” she said . “ I think there was a 4-H Club in high school , but it wasn ’ t something I was involved in , so I didn ’ t know that anything in agriculture was an option . I definitely didn ’ t know anything about turfgrass then – or that it was even a job .”
Roesslein , however , did spend summers with her godparents in Illinois . “ Where I grew up , it ’ s rocky , and we didn ’ t have grass lawns ,” she said . “ One of my summer jobs at my godparents ’ was to mow the grass . I love the smell of fresh-cut grass .”
Following high school , Roesslein went to junior college at Arizona Western , in Yuma , Ariz . From there , she attended school in Tennessee for a year before transferring to Eastern Kentucky University , where she studied Sports Administration . She stayed on at Eastern Kentucky for her Master ’ s in Sports Administration with the understanding that she would be the graduate assistant softball coach .
“ It was an incredible experience and a whole different world there with Division I athletics ,” she said . “ I learned a lot about the administrative side . I had a semester left on my master ’ s and lucked into a job on the grounds crew with the Lexington Legends . That was my first taste of turfgrass management .”
According to Roesslein , sports field management was a natural fit , and it wasn ’ t long before she was hooked .
“ I got connected with Tom Nielsen early on and learned a lot from him in a roundabout way because our head groundskeeper had been a head baseball coach – he wasn ’ t a turfgrass guy either – but he was learning as he went because of his connection with Tom ,” she said . “ Tom mentored Erik Hagen and our crew .”
20 SportsField Management | February 2023 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com