ADVANCING THE PROFESSION
“ Receiving a SAFE scholarship as an undergraduate student allowed me to attend an SFMA Conference , where I connected with industry leaders who share my passion for excellence in sports field management . These opportunities are vital for future generations to enter the field with the same enthusiasm .”
— Tyler Carr , Ph . D ., assistant professor and turfgrass extension specialist , Ohio State University ( 2015-16 and 2021-22 SAFE scholarship classes ).
“ I was fortunate to receive the Dr . James Watson Graduate Scholarship in 2019 . It put me in a small group of students who have received this prestigious award . This opportunity allowed me to become exposed to industry professionals during the annual awards banquet at the conference . The scholarship proved my graduate school efforts while earning a master ’ s degree , and confirmed that I have been set up for success by my advisor , Dr . John Sorochan . He provided numerous opportunities for me to interact with sports field managers , as well as industry professionals . My network has grown tremendously since I attended my first SFMA conference in 2015 in San Diego .
“ SAFE is important because the foundation introduces students to educational and research projects that are involved in making sports fields safer for everyone . As a research associate at the University of Tennessee , I have been able to focus my work on making sports fields more consistent and playable for all levels of sport . SAFE is able to have a direct approach to making fields safer because the individuals on the Board of Trustees maintain turfgrass at a high level and can see potential problems from the ground up .”
— Taylor Williams , research associate , University of Tennessee ( 2018-19 SAFE scholarship class ).
“ The SAFE Foundation has played a large role in my professional career dating back to my undergraduate days at UGA . I was able to compete in the 2015 Student Challenge at the annual conference in Denver that year . The opportunity to participate in the Student Challenge and attend the meeting to network with sports field managers around the country was invaluable to me in my career . I continued to stay involved with SFMA and SAFE in my graduate programs at MSU and UGA .
“ The opportunity to win the Watson Graduate Student Scholarship in 2023 and 2024 as a graduate student at UGA is a tremendous honor . The funds allowed me to pursue research evaluating novel techniques to measure athletic field performance and player safety during my Ph . D . here at UGA . When discussing research possibilities for my dissertation , I knew I wanted to answer some practical questions for sports turf professionals . Dr . Henry ’ s lab has published multiple works surrounding the performance testing of sports fields and how field variability can affect athlete injuries . Therefore , I decided to continue this trend and conduct studies aimed at further understanding the interaction of athletes with the playing surface and how that impacts performance . By working with a kinesiologist on campus , we have developed a way to implement sensors worn by athletes to gather athlete-specific responses to various sports turf surfaces . We aspire to use these techniques to learn more about what specific factors affect the performance of sports fields and how field managers can manage them to provide safer fields for our athletes .
“ The SAFE Foundation provides a great service to the sports field management industry . Not only does it support student endeavors and inspire the next generation of sports field managers , but it also supplies research to the industry . Relaying up-to-date research to current field professionals is critical in providing professionals the tools they need to maintain safe and functional playing surfaces for athletes of all ages so many others can experience the joy of sports in the future .
— Erick Begitschke , graduate research assistant , Crop and Soil Science Department , College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences , University of Georgia ( 2022-23 and 2023-24 SAFE scholarship classes ).
SAFE generates funding for its programs through member and industry donations , grants from other foundations , and events held at the annual SFMA Conference and Exhibition . For more information about SAFE , or to donate , visit https :// www . sportsfieldmanagement . org / programs / safe /. SFM
26 SportsField Management | June 2024 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com