RISING STAR

Maritza Martinez , associate director of grounds for St . Louis City SC , attributes the majority of her success to her wife , Miranda .

“ I wouldn ’ t be in the industry without her , because she was the one who suggested I look into it in the first place ,” said Martinez . “ I wouldn ’ t be as successful as I am without her drive and her push . We both spend a lot of time making sure the other is successful in our industries . She is one of a few women in her industry as well , so watching her be as successful and groundbreaking as she is in her industry only drives me further to strive to be like her . I want to thank her for all her dedication , love and drive for me to be better as a person and as a groundskeeper .”

When Martinez took the position with City SC in 2022 , she became the first Latina woman to serve as an MLS associate director of grounds . When asked about challenges she has faced in her career , Martinez said she used to avoid discussing the negative and instead focus on the positive .

“ As I get older , and the longer I ’ m in the career , I realize it needs to be talked about ; and maybe I can help others get through it ,” said Martinez . “ I ’ ve had issues with making sure I ’ m seen in a room . I ’ m a woman . I ’ m a woman of color . And I ’ m a woman in the LGBTQ + community . So , a lot of times , I ’ m those outlier groups . I think having my voice heard has been a challenge . Finding people who not only want to hear me speak , but care about what I ’ m saying , has been both a challenge . But it ’ s also a reward , because when you find those people — and , luckily , I have found those people — it makes all the difference .”

Martinez also feels lucky to be at CityPark , with women in leadership roles within the ownership group and stadium management . Being visible as a woman in sports field management has allowed Martinez to have an impact on girls and young women who see her at work . “ I had a conversation with a little girl who was probably six or seven years old ,” said Martinez . “ She was like , ‘ I saw your ponytail . Look at mine ( pointing to her ponytail ). I didn ’ t know you could do that .’ The visibility here as been one of my favorite things .”

Martinez also shared how the 2022 Little League Softball World Series impacted her ( the first year she served as a member of the all-female grounds crew ).

“ There was a team from the Philippines ,” she said . “ They barely had gear , barely made it there , and didn ’ t have many fans . I figured out very quickly that I wanted to cheer for them . They were awesome . It blew their mind that there was someone with the same skin tone as them out there doing this . They ended up signing a little Philippines flag for me , and I have it in a frame at home . That is one of my most incredible memories from this industry thus far .”

Martinez tells others , “ You can ’ t fix something by looking through a window . You can only do it when you are in the house .”

“ I ’ ve had women , people of color , people in the LGBTQ + community trying to figure out if this is an industry they could be in ,” she said . “ We can ’ t change things if we are not involved . So , get involved . You would be surprised . I ’ ve had negative issues with sexuality , my skin tone , my gender — but I ’ ve also met some absolutely incredible people who have been nothing but amazing to me — who see those things not as differences , but ways that make me unique . I like to try to share that with people trying to come into the industry who can ’ t figure out if it ’ s welcoming and accepting .”

Martinez ’ s advice is to find people who are in your corner , because once you do , they are there to stay .

“ I gave it a shot and I told myself that if I didn ’ t like it , I wouldn ’ t continue with it . But I ended up loving it .”

28 SportsField Management | October 2023 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com