RISING STAR
As a leader , Hunter ’ s advice to the next generation of sports field managers is to just get your feet wet and see what the industry encompasses .
“ Kids might have an internship and think we ’ re working six hours . They have no clue that I ’ m here at 8:30 a . m . on game days and I ’ m here until 11 p . m . or later ,” she said . “ I also think it ’ s about getting your start wherever you can . I started on a golf course even though I knew I didn ’ t want to go into golf . But at least it got me into the industry .
“ When I ’ m working with high school students , I teach them why we ’ re doing what we are doing so they can learn and understand the process ,” she added . “ There ’ s a reason behind everything .”
The lessons Hunter shares are lessons she learned from others , including Matt Williams , Hunter ’ s Turf Club advisor at Ohio State , whom she credits with pushing her outside of her comfort zone .
During Hunter ’ s time at Ohio State , the Chicago Cubs were conducting an interview tour at various university turfgrass programs to identify potential interns . Said Hunter , “ I told Matt , ‘ I can ’ t do this ; I ’ ve never had a turf internship — the golf course was the extent of my experience .’ He said , ‘ You just have to go for it and try . You can ’ t tell yourself no . At least try .’ He was a huge , huge part in my career . He was very helpful not only from an academic standpoint , but he also cared about us as students and people in the world .”
Another of Hunter ’ s mentors was Jeff Limburg with the Billings Mustangs .
“ My first day in Billings , Jeff was like ‘ Can you go mow the field ?’ I said , ‘ I haven ’ t mowed a baseball field before .’ He ’ s like , ‘ Oh , you got it .’ He had blind trust in me from the start . It scared the crap out of me , but he taught me a lot out there ,” she said .
The support of others in the industry is something that carries on for Hunter , and is , to her , the best part of the job .
“ I enjoy coming to work and I enjoy the manual labor and going home after a long day on the field ,” she said . “ But at the end of the day , it ’ s the other people . I ’ ve got people all over the country , and they ’ re all willing to help .”
When not on the job , Hunter enjoys golfing , hunting and spending time with her family and friends . On the job , Hunter had to adjust quickly to being in charge .
“ I never envisioned myself to be a head groundskeeper in my second year in Minor League Baseball ,” she said . “ That was a huge shock and a very big adjustment for me . I pictured being five or eight years in trying to go for a head spot . This was an opportunity I couldn ’ t pass up , but it was hard — especially being a woman in turf .
“ I have this pressure that I put on myself because I care about my job and just want to do a good job ,” Hunter added . “ But I also want to represent other women in the industry and young groundskeepers in general . Part of that was being willing to admit that I need help or looking for information that I might need . It ’ s not just ‘ I ’ m a head groundskeeper and I know it all .’ That is the farthest thing from the truth . I think being willing to learn and ask questions was important , because I ’ m a very reserved person . I don ’ t enjoy going out of my comfort zone a lot ; but in this case I needed to do it not only for my job , but to be a good representative of young groundskeepers and women in turf .”
Through it all , Hunter has been a great representative of young sports field managers and women in turf — one who has earned the respect and recognition of her peers .
“ I ’ m just proud of myself for all that I ’ ve learned and for becoming a good leader ,” she said . “ There ’ s a lot I ’ m proud of . I don ’ t know if that sounds cocky , but I think I ’ m doing an okay job , so I ’ m pretty happy with that .” SFM
What their nominator had to say :
“ Morgan is a force for change in sports field management and SFMA . As a leader , she is resilient and levelheaded . Passionate about maintaining pristine playing surfaces and elevating industry standards , she tirelessly works to enhance every facet of her profession . Morgan ’ s unwavering dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence make her a deserving candidate for recognition .” sportsfieldmanagementonline . com October 2024 | SportsField Management
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