PROFILE

In this edition of the Sports- Field Management Interview , we meet Sun Roesslein , CSFM , sports stadium manager at the North Area Athletic Complex ( NAAC ), Jeffco Schools , Golden , Colo . Roesslein is responsible for overseeing and maintaining the football stadium and soccer stadium that make up the NAAC , which is the home field for six of the high schools in the Jefferson County School District . Roesslein got her start in the turfgrass management industry working on the grounds crew for the Lexington Legends Minor League baseball team in 2001 ; and , after moving to Denver , she worked briefly for the City of Thornton before taking her current position with Jeffco Schools Athletics . In 2014 , the NAAC soccer field was awarded STMA ’ s Soccer Field of the Year for the Schools and Parks category . The following year , the NAAC football field was selected as STMA ’ s 2015 Football Field of the Year in the same category . Roesslein received her B . S . in 2000 and M . S . in 2002 from Eastern Kentucky University in Sports Administration . She is a past president of the Rocky Mountain Regional Turfgrass Association ; served on the CSTMA board of directors ; and has served on STMA ’ s Ethics committee , Website / Technology committee , Membership committee and is currently chair of the Certification committee , as well as secretary / treasurer of the STMA Board . In July of 2016 , she earned her CSFM designation .

SportsField Management ( SFM ): Please tell us about your background , what attracted you to a career in the turfgrass industry , and your overall career path .

Roesslein : I really found the turfgrass industry by complete luck . I was getting my master ’ s degree in Sports Administration , thinking I wanted to be a college softball coach , when I fell into a summer job on the grounds crew with the Lexington Legends . I was hooked pretty quickly ; and while I did finish my master ’ s , I decided to change my career path to the sports field management world . I worked two summers with the Legends , did some work with a sports field renovation company , and then it was time to move back out west . I needed more sunshine ! After

Sun Roesslein , CSFM arriving in Denver , I worked for almost a year with the City of Thornton before I saw my current job posting in the newspaper . ( Yes , the newspaper !) Here I am , about 16.5 years later , and still so happy to have made that decision to follow my passion . I love working outside , the consistent creativity and problem solving required , the results when a plan comes together , and , naturally , I love the smell of fresh cut grass .

SFM : Please tell us about your current role , and your typical day ( if there is such a thing ).

Roesslein : I always laugh at the typical day question – you are right , there really is no such thing for us . There are two stadium managers here – myself and Christi Clay , CSFM . We wear so many hats at our stadium : turfgrass managers , stadium managers and event managers . We have a football stadium and a soccer stadium that are side-by-side ( both natural grass surfaces ). Our stadium is the home field for six high schools in our district , and we host all their home varsity games for football , boys and girls soccer , and boys

30 SportsField Management | November 2021 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com