CHAPTER NEWS
Q : If you watch old footage from NFL Films , what memories are stirred up when you see some of the field situations from “ back in the day ”? Waters : Some memories that come to light are highlights of the ice bowl and how hard that field must have been , any of the games that were played in large amounts of rain with players sliding all over the place , and also the original AstroTurf some stadiums had .
Waters : Everyone has unique challenges wherever they are at any level , but some of the specific challenges we have here at Target Field are all the extra events on top of all the baseball games . Weather issues during games / events present a unique challenge as well .
Q : What are your passions and interests outside of work ? Waters : Some of my passions and interests outside of work are playing golf , spending as much time with family and friends as I can , and just trying to relax and turn my brain off for a while . I like road trips when I can take them ; and now that I am a father , making memories with my kids .
Q : What are the biggest issues facing the MPSFMA today ? Waters : I think some of the biggest issues facing MPSFMA today are finding young and passionate people who want to be involved in the sports field management industry . So many young professionals are motivated and excited to start a new role , but then start to get burned out because they are not aware of how much it takes to get the job done . Part of this is all the events that are being booked at certain venues with a lack of staffing , budget and work / life balance .
Q : You know a lot of sports field managers . What are they saying are the biggest obstacles to overcome to be successful ? Waters : Time management , work / life balance and flexibility . With all the events and hours being consumed at bigger stadiums and even smaller venues , we must figure out ways to manage our time effectively . We must hire the right staff and be able to manage them effectively without burning them out . We must make it a fun environment to work in as well .
Q : What ’ s your favorite on-field maintenance task that you still enjoy performing ? Waters : Seeding our wear areas with pre-germinated seed . I like to see the results after going through the process . I also enjoy off days where we can pound out some projects and it ’ s just us groundskeepers on the field .
Q : Who would be included at the table if you could dine with anyone , living or dead ? Waters : Prince , Michael Jordan , Tiger Woods and Randy Moss . SFM
– Content provided by MPSFMA
Q : What are the most important changes you ’ ve seen in sports field management ? Waters : I think some of the most important changes are the different technologies we have now to get the information we need or want . We now have robots that mow and paint fields .
sportsfieldmanagementonline . com July 2024 | SportsField Management
35