By Jakob Scales
The next generation of sports field managers is vital to the continuous growth of our industry, which is why it is important to understand their perspective of the industry. In conjunction with SportsField Management magazine, I recently conducted a survey of people new to the sports field management industry (or still in school for a turfgrass-related degree). This survey provided valuable information that I hope will be utilized to better understand and serve the next generation of sports field managers everywhere.
Membership
When asked about membership status with SFMA and its affiliated chapters, 40.6% said they are members of both national SFMA and their local chapter, 21.9% are members of national SFMA only, 12.5% are members of just their local chapter, and 25% of respondents are not members at either the national or chapter level.
Overall, this is an encouraging sign, as more than 40 percent are both local and national chapter members. The national chapter holds valuable resources such as the Sports Field 101 program and the national member directory, while the local chapters allow you to establish relationships with field managers specifically in your area who may be dealing with the same issues as you.
In addition, 68.85 of respondents have attended an SFMA Conference, which is encouraging as well. As a college student/young adult, it can be hard to commit enough funds and fundraise tirelessly to ensure you can go to the national conference each year, but more than two-thirds of respondents have attended an SFMA conference. College professors and the organization’s young field managers work to understand the importance of attending this conference, even if it means missing the first or second week of class in a new semester. Industry grants and scholarships to attend the conference are also proving their worth here, too.
Career path
When asked what drew them to a career in this industry, and why they chose sports field management over golf course management or other green industry careers, many respondents indicated that they had a background in baseball or other sports and wanted to remain close to the sport they love.
“I chose to work in professional sports because of my love of baseball and trying to find a way to stay around it my whole life without having to play,” said one respondent. “Golf was not something I found appealing because of the lack of off days and the very early hours.”
Another replied, “My interest in the industry began when I was searching for colleges to play soccer at. I grew up playing baseball and had a passion for manicuring the baseball diamonds before and after games or practices. My brother and I also started our own neighborhood landscaping business, which led me to pursue a major and career in turfgrass.”
Another respondent said they landed in this industry by accident. “When I started at a previous job, we did not have a sports field manager,” they said. “It began with me just doing simple tasks like mowing sports fields. Once our sports field manager and assistant were hired, I helped them to not be as short-staffed and eventually found myself becoming more and more interested in the industry.”
I love reading everyone’s turf origin story. They are all so unique, but share a common theme; the industry fell into our laps and we got bit by the bug. The passion we all share for our industry and our fields is one of the best things we have working for us.
Higher education and internships
One-third (33.3%) of respondents have earned a 4-year degree in turfgrass management, turfgrass science, plant and landscape systems or a related major. Another 24.2% have earned a 2-year degree in a turfgrass-related major, and 30.3% are currently working on their degree.
Responses were mixed from those who have earned their degree or are working on their degree regarding whether the courses required for their degree have adequately prepared them to be a successful sports field manager.
This is intriguing because it begs the question “is college really worth it?” Everyone’s situation is different, but I’m glad to see field managers are being successful no matter their education. I hear a lot of people say they learn more on the job than they did in the classroom, and responses to our survey certainly align with that statement.
“I feel the most valuable preparation you can get is by doing things hands-on,” said one respondent. “I think the courses give you good background knowledge on the ‘whys’ of everything, but the best way to really learn is to get your hands dirty and do it yourself. I feel our curriculum alone does not prepare us for the industry.”
Another respondent echoed those sentiments, “There were a lot of courses that felt sort of unnecessary. I would not recommend doing a 4-year degree. Mine has yet to pay off, and I would be in the same position I am if I had just gotten an associate degree or certificate.”
Said another, “I did my degree online, so I didn’t get any hands-on experience, but they did a good job in teaching the theory of it with PSU World Campus. I learned more in my first year as an intern than all of my turf classes combined.”
One respondent who felt their education prepared them for the industry said, “I got my education at Iowa State University, and they do an amazing job at emphasizing the value of getting your hands dirty. There were times I would learn about something in my classes and then that same day go to work for the athletic department and do that exact thing. That combination of learning why things are done while simultaneously doing those practices is what I feel sets ISU apart.”
Ninety-two percent of survey respondents indicated that they had a high level of success securing the internships they desired. For those who have done internships, there were a wide range of takeaways from those experiences.
Said one respondent, “The biggest takeaways that I have gained from my internships are to work hard, pay attention, and that it’s okay to make some mistakes. But you have to learn from them and progressively make yourself better to reach your personal end goal.”
Added another, “Have a love and passion for what you do, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. I have learned so much from some titans in the industry at the NFL level, and I always asked for advice and why things were done a certain way. Be a sponge willing to soak it all in and have fun with it.”
One respondent interned as the only crew member for a collegiate summer league. “I had a low budget, so I had to learn how to be resourceful and work with what I had. Since it was just me working on the field, I had to learn how to attack certain tasks and prioritize.”
“Perfection is impossible to accomplish, rather consistency is what we should strive for,” said yet another respondent regarding lessons learned. “The season is a grind, mentally and physically. As a manager, you always have to be thinking about the field. Being a sports field manager truly is a lifestyle, you have to be bought in.”
Continuing education
When it comes to industry education or other opportunities to assist with career development, respondents had a lot of good suggestions, including:
- More connection between students and recent graduates.
- More mentorship programs.
- SFMA classes or certificate program geared toward those who have not/cannot get a 2- or 4-year degree, or people who have a degree in something related to turfgrass as opposed to an actual turf degree.
- A budgeting course that covers structuring a budget, how to choose equipment based on the budget, etc.”
- More sports-field-based irrigation and pesticide CEU opportunities.
- An organized platform to learn cool- and warm-season grasses.
- More in-depth forums to share ideas.
- Infield maintenance education.
- Younger people presenting at conferences so younger crowds can relate.
Overall, these are some really good ideas that are realistic enough to be implemented. A mound maintenance/infield skin certification program could help combat the lack of education on such topics from a college degree.
Dream job
We also asked respondents what their dream job would be. Here is just a small sample of some of the responses:
“Head groundskeeper of an MLB team.”
“MLB head groundskeeper.”
“Major league groundskeeper.”
“Head groundskeeper (NFL, MLS).”
“Director of field operations for an MLB organization.”
“Head groundskeeper for an MLB/NFL team.”
As you can see, a common theme arose with this question – almost everyone wants to be a head groundskeeper for an MLB organization.
Said one respondent, “Obviously, everyone that works in baseball wants to be a head groundskeeper for an MLB team. I would be lying if I said I didn’t. However, in reality, the dream job is to work for a team for multiple years and establish a foundation in a community. Be a well-known groundskeeper in the industry for what you did on your field. Yes, being the head guy for an MLB team is cool, but there is also value in being a well-respected groundskeeper at whatever level.”
I think that quote sums it up perfectly. There are only 30 MLB head groundskeeper positions, and not everyone will get them. Personally, after experiencing life in the big leagues with two different teams and multiple seasons in MiLB, there’s something to be said about running your own show in the minors with a crew of high-school- and college-age people and giving them their first taste of working in the turf industry. Some will get bit by “the bug” and the industry grows. That’s what it’s all about.
A couple of our respondents indicated that they are already working their dream job:
“I am honestly living my NFL dream right now. I have certain teams I would prefer to work for, but working for the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium is an amazing experience every day.”
“I’m 20 and run field operations for a High-A MiLB team. As of right now I’m living my dream, the job is the job no matter where you do it.”
Concerns
When asked about concerns entering a career in sports field management, work-life balance and compensation seem to be the two biggest concerns facing the industry.
Said one respondent, “For work-life balance, it can be hard. When your field is actively being used for an in-season sport, it seems that you can never get away. You are either preparing a field to actively be used later in the day, or if the team is away, you are preparing the field for the next time the team is in town or possible special events scheduled for your specific field. When you do have time to get away, you are still thinking about a million things that you could be doing, a million things that could go wrong, etc. In terms of compensation, I definitely believe that there is less compensation for our work compared to golf turf professionals. A lot of times I notice that individuals outside of the industry do not realize what we do on a day-to-day basis to make a field green and pretty while making sure it is safe for the athletes playing on our field. I feel if more people realized what we actually do, we would be compensated more fairly based on work done and not just experience or what they think the job is worth.”
Added another respondent, “Work-life balance is a big concern for me. Even in internships I have struggled with burnout, and it takes a toll on the body mentally and physically. It makes me nervous just starting out in my career that it could get worse.”
Said another, “Work/life balance for sure, as well as compensation. Not being able to get an adequate amount of staff for the site you are overseeing. Whether that’s no applicants or no money to pay for employees. Low budgets made by people who don’t know how turf works, etc.”
One respondent expressed concerns at being able to afford the cost of living near their field/facility. “Big sports teams are in big cities, which have high costs of living, so being close to the team depends on decent wages.”
Work-life balance is going to be what it is. There’s just a different mindset needed as a field manager, specifically a head one. During the growing season, that field is going to require a lot of attention. There’s no way around it. When you choose to become a sports field manager, you have to understand there will be a work-life balance sacrifice. However, compensation is by far my biggest fear. I fear my future family’s quality of living won’t be what I’d like it to be unless I become a head sports field manager.
I am confident in the upcoming years as industry professionalism and as sports field managers everywhere get included in conversations dealing with the bigger picture of their organizations, upper management will begin to realize what our positions require. It all falls back on the product you put out, though. Your proof needs to be in the pudding.
The future of sports field management
Looking even further into the future of the industry, we asked the young sports field managers and students who took our survey what they think is the key to getting more young people in sports field management.
“Social media is being totally underutilized from the SFMA national and local chapters,” said one respondent. “It is way too easy to go viral, and the TikTok/Instagram/X user is the exact demographic that we are looking for. In fact, a YouTube video of the Phillies grounds crew is what showed me that this could be a career.”
Added another, “I think increased visibility of the sports field management industry is key to attracting more people to our industry. For example, the NFL has done a great job publicizing the efforts of the field crews leading up to the last couple of Super Bowls. I think similar campaigns in other professional and collegiate sports would be very successful in attracting young turf managers.”
Another respondent expressed concern that it will be tough to attract the next generation. “There are long, grueling hours and the pay is not the best. At the end of the day, the pay needs to increase. The field is such a valuable aspect of the sports industry, yet it’s not paid the same way. To attract more people to the turf industry the pay needs to represent the work.”
“TikTok/Instagram Reels is probably the best way to gain awareness from the general public, just to give them an idea as to what all we do. The most effective way I believe is having elementary/middle school/high schoolers out to our facilities, spend half a day with the crew, and getting them on the equipment. Whatever will get them hooked on this as a career. The way I see it, the more people that know what we do and why we do it, the more appreciated we all will be, which in turn hopefully increases our salaries.”
Jakob Scales is a grounds crew intern for the Kansas City Royals. The survey was conducted in June 2024.
Although we could not share all responses within the context of this article, SportsField Management will be sharing additional responses and more survey details online at SportsFieldManagementOnline.com.
