PROFILE
Sod being grown at the Iowa State University research station for the ISU football game field ( to be installed in May ).
Thoms : I would love to see the respect for the job continue to rise . I think many athletic field managers do a great job but don ’ t get enough credit . I also think we will need to solve the labor shortage over the next 10 years . I don ’ t know if that is through greater pay or more worklife balanced hours , but something will have to happen soon to draw more people to the industry .
SFM : Please tell us about yourself outside of work ( family , hobbies , interests , etc .)?
Thoms : I enjoy spending time with my wife , Rachel , and children , George and Greta , and watching the kids grow up and learn new things . I enjoy cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs on Sundays .
SFM : Is there anything else we might not have touched on that you would like to add ?
Thoms : This past year I ’ ve gotten to be a part of a fun project growing the new football game and practice fields for ISU . We sand-capped six acres of cornfields in April and then seeded them to Kentucky bluegrass . The sod will be ready to be moved in May . It has been a fun and challenging project growing high-quality sod on an old corn field , for sure . But one that has brought great exposure to our college and department . The students have enjoyed it too . SFM
28 SportsField Management | January 2022 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com