RISING STAR
“ They are the lifeblood guys that I can trust ,” said Hebrard ; adding that the company also relies on subcontractors for certain projects that require specialized equipment . “ I ’ m not going to try to do it all myself . Sharing is very important to me . Tying guys in on projects where you know they could have success and work with different people ; that ’ s why I do it .”
According to Hebrard , business is split fairly evenly between local projects in the Phoenix area and projects throughout other parts of the country — usually dependent upon inventory and supplies in other states or regions . Athletic Applications specializes in line and logo painting on synthetic and natural surfaces , field layout / renovations , baseball specialty projects , turf management programs , and athletic facility branding . Hebrard enjoys the artistic side of the industry and finds inspiration from many places .
“ Scrolling through Twitter , I saw a post from Ryan Nagy — the Tamp Champ ,” he said . “ I ’ ve never met him in person , but I saw he had posted this very simple photo of a clean edge . It was conditioner on top of packed infield clay alongside beautifully manicured turf . That is art . We love the logos , but then you realize having that clean edge with the transition you can ’ t feel with your foot is as artistic as anything .”
When it comes to running a business , Hebrard says that the biggest challenge is the sheer physical demands of the job — not only the demands of working in the Phoenix heat , but mobilization , getting to and from out-of-state jobs , and meeting demanding event schedules and deadlines .
And although launching and running a business has had its challenges , Hebrard and Lindsay faced a greater challenge when their daughter Mackenzie was
born prematurely , weighing only 15 ounces . Mackenzie spent nearly a year in the hospital , more than two years on a ventilator , and dealt with a feeding tube , surgeries , transfusions and more .
“ She just survived it ,” said Hebrard . “ It really put things into perspective and lit our path . God gives you trials , and you just live in the moment . You don ’ t know why they ’ re presented to you in the way that they are , but then you come out so much stronger .”
Mackenzie inspired the formation of the Kenzie Kares Foundation ( https :// kenziekaresfoundation . com /), a 501 ( c )( 3 ) that celebrates her story and supports families who are “ enduring the journey of the neonatal intensive care unit .” Now five years old , Mackenzie is the true star in Hebrard ’ s life . “ She is just the light ,” he said . Hebrard credits his mom , Kim , and wife , Lindsay , for helping him keep calm through an extremely difficult time . And amid Mackenzie ’ s birth and through the challenge of the COVID pandemic , Hebrard successfully launched Athletic Applications , and has grown the company to the point that he now handles major projects on a national level .
“ Everything ’ s growing right now ,” he said . “ I ’ m just trying to treat people right . At the end of the day , relationships matter . Your relationship with Christ matters , your relationships with your wife and your daughter or your kids matter . How you treat your parents and your grandparents matters . How you treat people you work alongside matters . The goal for me is to impact people and have a good time together .”
Bringing it full circle , when asked about being named a SportsField Management Rising Star , Hebrard said that it ’ s not about trophies on the mantle or features in a magazine — even though that ’ s definitely a perk .
“ It ’ s about connecting with people ,” he said . “ It ’ s an exciting time to be in the industry , and I ’ m just floating among the stars .” SFM
What their nominator had to say : “ Andy is a great resource , helping others with knowledge and equipment . He gets facilities and grounds personnel to better maintain their facilities , and he supports organizations with sponsorship and training .”
24 SportsField Management | October 2024 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com