RISING STAR

Jonathan Waszak knows all too well that athletes value having a safe and consistent playing surface . Having honed his work ethic as a college baseball pitcher at Western Carolina University , Waszak now strives for top-tier surfaces as the maintenance and operations supervisor at the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex near Charlotte , North Carolina .

“ Being a college athlete was very challenging ,” said Waszak . “ It ’ s very much a full-time job while you ’ re still attending school . I think the hard work aspect of it really stuck with me . You could be the best player on your high school team , but come freshman year of college suddenly everybody is the best . So , you have to prove your worth when you get there . You have to show that you want it , and you have to earn it — and that is something I will always carry with me .”

While playing for the Catamounts , as a small Division I school , Waszak also had to learn how to take care of the field when he wasn ’ t on the mound .

“ Before the season started , we would be working on the field ,” Waszak said . “ Being on the pitching staff , we were responsible for fixing the mound post-game , as well as mound maintenance .”

Waszak was interested in a career in turfgrass , but was told golf course management was the way to go . As a result , he took a job at Raleigh Country Club .

“ I spent a year and a half there learning the ins and outs of turfgrass ,” said Waszak . “ I would pick the assistant ’ s brain and I learned about cool-season grass and warm-season grass . That ’ s when I knew I wanted to get into this industry — but on the sports field side of it .”

From there , Waszak became maintenance and operations technician at Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation , where he credits Winston James as a major influence in his career .

“ He ’ s no longer in the sports field industry , but he ’ s my biggest mentor ,” said Waszak . “ He took a chance on me and brought me to Charlotte , and I tried to soak up as much knowledge as I could . He helped me learn whenever I made a mistake , and made a huge impact on me . I still talk to him at least once a week , and I can ask him anything about turfgrass or about life .”

As Maintenance and Operations Supervisor — a role he has held for the past four years — Waszak is in charge of fields used from elementary age all the way to the professional ranks . Sportsplex fields serve as the training grounds for the Charlotte Independence , and as home field for the Crown Legacy Football Club ( MLS Next team for Charlotte FC ).

34 SportsField Management | October 2023 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com