SFMA IN ACTION
Sarah Martin, CSFM, park supervisor, City of Phoenix, has volunteered to be part of the LLSWS grounds crew for all four years that it has been available to the Women In Turf Team.
“ I absolutely love this event, giving back, and showing kids that this is a profession and a way to stay in the sport,” said Martin.“ Working with like-minded women is amazing, and we have a blast. We have folks on the crew that have years upon years of experience, and we have those that have none. We take the time to teach and show how to do the work.”
Hospod’ s advice to other women in turf is to challenge yourself with these types of opportunities, as they will only make you better at your job in the long term.
“ Learning from these experiences, you can bring them back to your facility and maybe even incorporate what you learned into your program and share what you learned with your team,” said Hospod.“ Opportunities like this only make the turfgrass industry stronger, connecting us together to foster a stronger message.”
Added Martin,“ This is a fantastic event, held at an amazing location in Greenville. Little League and the community are fantastic to work with.”
What started with a phone call and a bold idea has become a cornerstone of the LLSWS. Thanks to Roesslein’ s early push and the continued collaboration with Little League and a growing network of volunteers, girls in the stands— and on the field— now see women setting the standard for excellence on the world’ s mostwatched youth softball stage. That is progress you can measure in perfectly set bases, crisp chalk lines, and faces lit with possibility.
SFMA Staff Retreat
SFMA’ s new CEO, Paula Sliefert, kicked off her tenure with an energizing staff retreat in Lawrence, Kansas, designed to build connection, set strategic direction, and reinforce SFMA’ s commitment to listening and growth.
The retreat began with a team-building challenge at a local Escape Room, setting a collaborative tone for the days ahead. The business portion launched with a discussion on Complex Change Management, providing a framework for the organization’ s ongoing transformation. A key highlight was the Listening Tour Discussion, where staff reviewed insights gathered from members across the country. Four guiding questions shaped the conversation: What is SFMA doing well? Where can it improve? What should it start doing? And what should it stop doing? These discussions led to actionable recommendations that will be shared at the next SFMA Board meeting in October for guidance and input.
In addition to visiting the grounds crews at several iconic Kansas City professional sports venues— including the Royals( Trevor Vance hosted), Sporting KC( Casey Montgomery hosted), Chiefs( Travis Hogan hosted) and KC Current( Mira Emma hosted),— the group had the honor of spending time with SFMA’ s last living founder, George Toma, whose passion at the age of 96 continues to inspire the profession. Another meaningful moment was when Sliefert connected in person with retired SFMA CEO Kim Heck, who led the organization with dedication for ~ 18 years. This meeting was a special opportunity to honor SFMA’ s legacy while looking ahead to its future.
10 SportsField Management | October 2025 sportsfieldmanagementonline. com