RISING STAR
input from the grounds crew . “ Knowing that work-life balance is a focus we want to have , they do a great job of not overloading us too much ,” he said .
As result , Boxler says the biggest challenges of the job are the things you don ’ t necessarily expect or prepare for ; the things that you don ’ t learn in a classroom or through an article , but through experience .
“ After a game a couple years ago , we were packing the bullpens , and in front of the bullpens we saw bit of a dip ,” he said . “ We opened it up and found out we had a mini sinkhole . The next thing you know , we were out there digging it up , trying to find the issue , and fixing it until 4 a . m . That ’ s a freak occurrence that you have to adjust for on the fly and figure it out . You can ’ t be set in your ways of doing something . You have to be able to adapt .”
But Boxler loves such challenges , as well as the opportunity to be outdoors and physically active on a daily basis .
“ One of the greatest things is hearing fans rave about how great the field looks , or comments from players , coaches and umpires about how well the field plays ,” he said . “ I take pride in knowing I was a part of creating that , and responsible for what everyone is seeing and enjoying .”
When not at work creating an awe-inducing field , Boxler enjoys golfing , fishing and spending time with his three-year-old German Shepherd , Madchen .
On the job , knowing that he has the support and admiration of his peers and his boss is something Boxler is proud of .
“ I have tried to be a quick study ,” he said . “ I ’ ve always prided myself on schoolwork . My grandparents were teachers , and I had an uncle who was a principal . I was told if I wanted to play sports , I had to have good grades ; so I always put a focus on learning .” Launching his career as an assistant during
COVID not only allowed Boxler time to research and learn , but it also allowed time to experiment with different techniques , approaches and equipment .
“ That ’ s where having the support of the organization is huge ,” he said . “ They ’ re willing to allow us to do different things and have those kinds of resources .” When asked about what the future holds and what his dream job might be , Boxler said he gets that question a lot lately .
“ I ’ ve been an assistant here full time since 2020 , and a lot of people ask when I ’ m going to take a head job somewhere ,” said Boxler . “ It all depends upon the opportunity and what makes sense for me . I ’ m very fortunate to be working with Chris and with the RubberDucks . We ’ re in a great spot and we are taken care of pretty well . Not every place is necessarily going to be like that .
“ Yes , the idea of one day potentially having my own field and being completely in charge of it is certainly enticing ,” he added . “ But I ’ m not actively looking to leave . I ’ m very grateful for the opportunity I ’ m in , and the organization . I know how special the place I get to work at is .” After all , there is a bit of hometown pride mixed in . SFM
What their nominator had to say :
“ By adopting innovation and new methods of performing his job duties , Colt is not afraid to try new things . He also enjoys passing along what he has learned to the next generation of groundskeepers . His passion and drive to learn and be a better sports field manager is unmatched . Colt exemplifies what a Rising Star is and represents everything this industry is striving for in the future .” sportsfieldmanagementonline . com October 2024 | SportsField Management
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