FIELD OF THE YEAR SCHOOLS AND PARKS FOOTBALL
SFM : I know we have covered your background in the past , but for those readers who are unaware , please tell us a bit about yourself and your career path in sports field management .
PRINCE : I graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor ’ s degree in Landscape Architecture in 2014 . While taking classes , I worked for the UGA Athletic Association ( UGAAA ) for four years as a student worker , mostly out at the Jack Turner Women ’ s Soccer and Softball complex . After I graduated , I worked as a foreman at UGAAA for one year then moved to Atlanta where I started working for Georgia Tech ’ s Athletic Association . I worked there for three years , and was a part of the crew that won Field of the Year for Bobby Dodd Stadium and took care of the pitch for Atlanta United ’ s inaugural season . I was then offered the job at
Pace Academy , taking care of their sports complex and athletic fields , and I ’ ve been here for more than three years now .
SFM : 2020 was a year unlike any other . Please walk us through what the past year was like for you , how you were impacted by the pandemic , and how you approached the challenges you faced ?
PRINCE : When everything began to shut down , we were put on a “ skeleton ” schedule for about three weeks . That meant that only one person was out at Riverview per day Monday through Saturday . With such a large facility , and the amount of work that needed to be done daily , we had to prioritize what we felt was necessary upkeep and what could be put on the back burner . Luckily , after those three weeks we were back
16 SportsField Management | September 2021 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com