FIELD OF THE YEAR SCHOOLS AND PARKS BASEBALL
students . I fully expected to be denied . After presenting it to our principal , he said he loved the idea and would do everything possible to help make the class a reality .
After several discussions with school district officials , I was told that they could make this class a reality if I got a CTE credential . I was ecstatic . Despite having a teaching credential in history and physical education , I found myself back in school taking classes to obtain the CTE credential . I got the credential and the CDM turf management class started in 2021 . One period of turf management was added to my teaching schedule , and the turf class focuses on maintaining the varsity and freshman baseball fields .
SFM : What were the biggest challenges you have faced with the winning field , and how have you approached those challenges ? McCaffrey : Our biggest challenge is the lack of funding and proper equipment . We make the most of what we have , and feel as though we do a really good job with that . It costs a lot of money to maintain a field . Our baseball program funds everything . We need to think about what is most important for our facility and find ways to make that happen .
Personally , this past year has been the toughest year of my life . A large and very rare form of a brain tumor was discovered last July , and I went through a difficult brain surgery to remove the tumor in September 2023 . I permanently lost all hearing in my right ear and was told the physical recovery process would take from eight months to two years to start feeling “ normal ” again . I had to take eight weeks off from school . During that time , the turf class didn ’ t get to use the machines as the district didn ’ t want a substitute teacher running the class .
When I came back to school , I was very limited in what I could do . I still suffered from equilibrium issues and daily headaches . Being back out on the field with the class was the best therapy for me , though . The students in the class were so understanding of what I went through . They went out of their way to make sure I was okay with everything we did . I was able to train them on all machines before the surgery . When I came back , we did a quick refresher on how all machines work and then the class was off and learning how to take care of the field . The fact that the training and machine time was so condensed this past year made their game day work that much more special . Students would regularly stay
14 SportsField Management | March 2025 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com