PROFILE

In this edition of The Sports Field Management Interview , we meet Ross Kurcab , CSFM , owner of Championship Sports Turf Systems . Kurcab spent 30 years as head field manager for the Denver Broncos Football Club , and is an award-winning sports field manager , sports field and turfgrass consultant , speaker , author , and columnist . He is a proud alumnus of Colorado State University ’ s landscape horticulture / turfgrass management program . He can be followed on Twitter @ NaturalGrassMan .

SportsField Management ( SFM ): Please tell us about Championship Sports Turf Systems , LLC .

Kurcab : CSTS is my way of creating purpose with the skills and knowledge I developed during my time in professional football , and to create my own job that will better suit me into and through retirement . I ’ ll always enjoy working with professional sports teams and leagues ; but now I can be of service to many more youth and amateur athletes , and help field managers who have fewer resources . That feels very fulfilling . I also wanted to find out what weekends and holidays are like .

SFM : What originally attracted you to the turfgrass industry ?

Kurcab : A drifting horticulture student met Dr . Jackie Butler at CSU on advice from a friend . He gave me a rudder . He showed me that turfgrass management is not just for lawns that look good . He showed me how turfgrass is the preferred surface for almost every outdoor team sport , and how I can contribute to the health

and wellbeing of people through sports field management and golf course management . Having worked hard landscaping jobs to pay for school , I envisioned a life of driving in a shaded golf cart around a beautiful course , with a glass of lemonade in my hand , telling others what to do . Things didn ’ t exactly work out like that , but I am eternally grateful for that meeting . Passion inspires passion .

SFM : You have earned a lot of industry recognition and awards during your career . What would you say are the biggest accomplishments of your career and / or what are you most proud to have achieved ?

Kurcab : My “ coaching tree ” is my favorite accomplishment . Watching my former assistants and technicians successfully advancing their careers on their own just makes me smile . This list includes some amazingly talented field managers like Troy Smith , CSFM ; Brooks Dodson ; Abby McNeal , CSFM ; Cody Freeman ; Andrew Hoiberg ; Chris Hathaway ; and Abe Picaso . I also consider my friend Sarah Martin , CSFM , on that list as well .

In 30 years , I had exactly two workers comp injuries on my team — none very serious . While it ’ s never perfect , no one ever left my turf team on bad terms with me or the other team members .

I ’ ve always championed the cause for more women in our profession . My friend Lynda Wightman instilled this in me early in my career . She sets an amazing example for women to follow . There is absolutely no good reason why women don ’ t represent half of all sports field managers . It ’ s just cultural bias . We , as an industry , are only tapping half of our talent base ! We will never get to where we want to go until we address this .

20 SportsField Management | July 2021 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com