PROFILE way to make it more palatable for our students – particularly our first-year students . We encouraged our seniors to stay at their internships and do the same thing . Many of them did stay at their internships in the fall , but by winter I could tell many were back in their basements . It was just awful for them . It wasn ’ t what they expected . It wasn ’ t what they paid for in so many ways . It wasn ’ t what their maturity level was even ready for either .
It ’ s not their fault . None of this was their fault . I tried to keep that in mind . And we got through it . But I sure hope we are going back to face to face this fall .
SFM : What is the key to getting young people interested in the turfgrass industry ?
Rogers : We don ’ t have very many students at MSU who don ’ t love this work . By the time they have gotten to school , they already know they like it .
People in the sports turf industry are telling me that they can ’ t find good help , and I agree . But maybe the interns are not treated the same as other interns in the organization . If you have a marketing intern , you might find them housing through the marketing department . But I never hear that with grounds . In golf , they learned a long time ago that the more they can make an internship turnkey , the more kids will jump into that fire . A lot of times it is their first time getting out of the house , and their first time going away . That ’ s the thing I did with the “ great experiment ” during COVID – I made sure it was turnkey . When they walked onto that golf course , they had a place to stay , they had a place to study , and they had a place to go to work . The more that that can be done in this world , the easier it is to get people attracted to your particular facility .
Sports turf has always lagged behind golf in terms of education and resources , but it is catching up rapidly . Now people need to remind their bosses that they have to be able to provide opportunities . If you can , there are a lot of students who enjoy the idea behind sports turf . There are a lot of things that are attractive about it , but the opportunities have got to be there , and it needs to be turnkey .
SFM : What are the challenges that you deal with on a regular basis and how do you approach those challenges ?
Rogers : Most of my challenges are personal . I want to do a good job and stay current . I want to be sure the students get what they need .
The other day someone asked me if I could give a 45-minute lecture . I said , “ Anytime . Any subject . It doesn ’ t matter .” That has become automatic .
I feel very strongly about remaining current so I can relate to students . One of the questions I get all the time is whether I think students have changed in the last 32 years .
Do I think the 18 year old has changed ? Not necessarily . Do I think they ’ ve been out of their home by the time they get to MSU ? No . Do I think they are afraid of getting out of their comfort zone ? Yes , I do . Do they have different technology than someone had 30 years ago ? Sure .
30 years ago , I could ask the class how many spots are on a giraffe . The way they would have answered would be to pick the youngest guy or girl and send them to the library , and tell them to come back with the answer . Now , everybody can answer this question inside of five seconds .
So , who needs to make the adjustments – the students or me ? Obviously , me . I ’ m the guy who has constantly needed to adjust to the idea of teaching and the idea of getting something across . It ’ s not the students that need to adjust . Recognizing that I ’ m the person who needs to make the adjustment has been key . I ’ m very cognizant of that .
I also enjoy consulting , and the challenges of projects , chasing perfection . I take on certain things , and that becomes my focus . I ’ m not afraid to change my focus . Those are my biggest challenges .
SFM : Can you give us an idea of the types of projects you for which you serve as a consultant ?
Rogers : For the past 11 years I have been working with the Mortenson company whenever they build a stadium with natural turf . They have been fun to work with , and I have learned so much . Right now I have two projects with them – one in St . Louis and one in Nashville . My job is to make sure nothing goes wrong turf-wise for these billion-dollar stadiums . I make sure the raw materials are up to specs . I make sure the specs themselves are written correctly . A lot of times the superintendent or sports field manager hasn ’ t even been identified yet in these projects , so I will contribute in that role until they arrive .
In the last year or so , I have taken on the challenge of turfgrass racetracks for Thoroughbred racing . I find that fascinating . I ’ ve been working in Kentucky with Keeneland . Also , in a separate endeavor , the turf track at Churchill Downs will be rebuilt this July , and I ’ m happy to be involved with that .
Those are things I really enjoy . I ’ m very big on challenges , rather than just doing the same thing over and over . We hope to be involved with the FIFA World Cup coming to North America in 2026 . John Sorochan and I are working toward that right now . We would like to be involved with the research that is necessary for any of the stadiums that will be environmentally challenged . I don ’ t believe we will be building any new stadiums in North America for the World Cup , so the idea will be to retrofit and / or make sure that any stadiums that will be reduced light or indoor can meet the standards that FIFA requires .
It ’ s a huge undertaking . It ’ s 48 teams for the first time , as opposed to 32 . FIFA has a requirement that each city sportsfieldmanagementonline . com June 2021 | SportsField Management
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