RISING STAR success . It ’ s up to them to create their own opportunity out of that . But he did a great job as a mentor from when I was a boy , all the way through high school , through college and then into adulthood .”
According to Hebrard , his father taught him about work ethic , resiliency and how to be a grinder . “ He has a lot of ‘ Mike-isms ’ that are top notch , but one is that ‘ You got to know the bus route home .’”
Hebrard didn ’ t have the sports turf bug coming out of high school , because it was something he had already been working on for six years . At that time , his heart and soul were focused on playing baseball , and he was following his father ’ s advice to “ play as long as you can .”
And for Hebrard , college was all about baseball — first at Feather River College in Quincy , California , where he played for CP & T-Baum . Then on to Missouri Western State University as a utility player ( pitcher and corner infielder ) for the Griffons under head coach Charles “ Buzz ” Verduzco . Along the way , Hebrard was first-team all-league at every level of baseball he ever played . But after college — and after baseball — he returned home and went to work with Mike ; adding that , most of the time , he and Mike work best from opposite ends of the field .
Through his baseball and work experiences , he learned about communicating to a team , handling different management styles , how to coexist with others and the importance of team chemistry .
Taking what he learned from his father , coaches , mentors and other professionals , Hebrard took a job working in the NFL at FedEx Field in Washington , D . C ., and from there a stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers .
Having seen the freedom and success his father had in running his own business , Hebrard decided to branch out on his own and build a new company — Athletic Applications ( AA ). He initially focused on painting synthetic turf and developed a niche in the market .
“ I reached out to my supplier and let him know that I was in California and to let me know of any leads that come through ,” said Hebrard . “ That was the start of AA .”
Hebrard ’ s father routed some projects his way ; he built his relationships and connections through SFMA ; and with the help of his wife , Lindsay , jobs began to trickle in . They moved to Phoenix and grew the business .
“ Sports are huge in that city ,” Hebrard said of the decision to be based in Phoenix . “ It ’ s year round . There ’ s a lot of turf management , a lot of natural grass . It ’ s exciting times .”
Hebrard now has five trusted employees he calls “ The starting five ” — stating that he is just the sixth man . The starting five is composed of “ The Barber , Iceman , Smitty , Wardog and The Company Man .”
sportsfieldmanagementonline . com October 2024 | SportsField Management
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