PROFILE
some technician work for the turf team . When I met the turf team and we got to visit Liverpool Football Club and Royal St . George ’ s , Royal Birkdale , and other Open venues , I was like , “ This is it . Now I ’ ve really found my niche .” It was about 1993 that I switched to the turf team full time . So I became the technician in the turf team and I got my degree , and then I started teaching some of the classes . My instructional lectures were conducted on Myerscough ’ s many sports fields and 9-hole golf course . I ended up becoming the program manager for the National Diploma in Turf by the time I left .
What got me over here [ to Ohio State University ] is that Dr . Karl Danneberger and some of the professors at OSU used to speak at a yearly conference at Myerscough . Martyn Jones ran the turf program at Myerscough , and he was really good friends with the OSU turf team . I was asked in 1998 to go to Ohio and work at the turf farm for the summer for Dr . Danneberger . The goal was to bring back some of the techniques and find out what the Americans were doing ; it would help my teaching at Myerscough , and we could share ideas . I came over in 1998 just for the summer ; but , while I was here , a position opened up , and I applied for it and came back full time in 1999 .
Mike O ’ Keeffe runs the international internship program at Ohio State . He sends American students abroad to learn from green industry professionals , and he also brings students into the states to learn turf , horticulture and agronomy . It ’ s a student exchange program based at Ohio State . I have known him since the Myerscough days , and we get along really well . He helped me come over the summer of 1998 , and he helped me come back over in 1999 . He has helped hundreds of people with their turf career . There are turf managers all over the world in superintendent positions and stadium manager positions who have done that program through Mike O ’ Keeffe . I tell people he ’ s the Kevin Bacon of turf .
It was a magical time at Myerscough , and , whether you want to call it right place at the right time , everything just fell into place – knowing the right people , taking advantage of those connections , jumping on it , and not being afraid to do it . I wouldn ’ t have the courage now to do what I did then . In 1999 , my husband and I had two suitcases each and came to Columbus , Ohio , with nothing , and just made it work .
When I came over in 1999 , I got a job as a research technician at the research farm , and was able to do my Master ’ s degree ( in Turfgrass Science ) part time . It has evolved from there , and my job has changed since then , but that is how I got to Ohio State .
SFM : Please tell us about your current role , and your typical day ( if there is such a thing ).
Sherratt : I teach about 1,000 students per year . I have face-to-face classes and online classes . I teach a basic plant science class and I teach sports turf management sportsfieldmanagementonline . com October 2021 | SportsField Management
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