Double duty

Growing up, I always knew I wanted a career in sports. Until about a year and a half ago, I thought it would be in a marketing role. As a sophomore in high school, I began working on Ben Hartman’s crew for the Wichita Wind Surge, the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. Little did I know it would be one of the best things to happen in my life.

I started for the Wind Surge in May 2021, working 10-hour days — about 60 hours a week during homestands — and occasionally helping with cultural practices on off weeks. The rest of the season flew by. I fell in love with the job.

Fast forward to the start of the 2022 season. I wanted to experience a different side of the turf industry, which led me to Flint Hills National Golf Club’s maintenance team, where I started in March. My mindset entering the summer was that if I could handle working 17-hour days for both the Wind Surge and at Flint Hills National, I could make it in the turf industry and was going to pursue either being a golf course superintendent or a sports field manager.

I’ve had a fantastic summer and fall. I got a new nickname — more on that in a minute — met with the Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers ground crews, helped and met with multiple different MiLB ground crews in the Upper Midwest, participated in a couple of field days, volunteered at the Wichita Open, attended Kansas Turf Foundation’s conference, went on college visits to Oklahoma State University, Iowa State University and Kansas State University, and was even invited on a Golf Course Industry podcast to talk about being a young turf pro and my experiences this summer. What I realized is everyone I’ve met has been very encouraging, giving me advice and telling me to keep in touch with them. People in this industry are willing to help foster the young generation of turf pros and that’s one of the finest entities about the turf industry. We’re so small that we’re like a fraternity. We all know or have heard of everyone, for better or worse.

But it hasn’t been all cupcakes and roses. I crashed a Toro Workman into a lake at the golf course — where it sort of bobbed on the surface, giving me the new nickname of Bobber — and broke a quick coupler, a leaf blower and even a television. This was my first professional setback and just by the nature of my jobs, I spent an extensive amount of time alone, in my own thoughts, enabling them to run wild. All the above contributed to an ever-so-present doubt that maybe I’m not cut out for this industry. Is the root of these accidents being tired? Or is it my lack of ability? Or am I just a 17-year-old who is learning? This was what went through my mind almost daily throughout the summer.

But in hindsight, my two biggest takeaways from this summer are that success isn’t linear and that discipline is a great character trait to possess. My belief regarding failure and learning has changed drastically since May. If I never learn how to do a job that’s out of my skillset, how will I ever get better? And, with learning, there will certainly be failure. Embrace it. Own up to it. Most important, learn from it and move on. That’s all you can do. Regarding discipline, I learned early on that it takes a special kind of person to manage turf, whether as a superintendent or an assistant or a crew member. The job demands getting up early, long hours of physical labor, oftentimes in the heat of summer with the expectation to be unseen, unheard and unthanked. The golf side is a grind. One doesn’t really get a break in the action like a groundskeeper in baseball. I have a newfound respect for everyone on the golf side of the industry just because of that — not to mention having to maintain 150 acres compared to baseball’s four and a half.

I hold myself to high standards as a high school senior, so it’s only right to have high aspirations for the rest of my career in the turf industry. Ultimately, my dream job is to be an MLB or NFL head groundskeeper. There are a lot of variables that could change that goal as I age, but that’s what I have my sights set on. But I don’t want to just be a groundskeeper. I want to remove the stigma around our profession and be an advocate for it. I know we’ve all been there, telling someone what we do for a living and they reply, “So, all you do is cut grass all day? Man, I could do that!” It takes all our decency to not go off on them and explain that it’s much more than that. Bringing to light what the turf industry is really about, fighting for salary increases and attracting young talent are all things I would love to take a lead on if I become an influential figure in the industry.

I will leave you with advice on how to attract and keep young talent in our industry, whether on the golf or sports field side: Relationships are huge for my generation. I have found healthy relationships with my bosses at the ballpark and the golf course. They know what my goals are and don’t fight over me. I learn so much from the two of them, both professionally and in terms of personal development. So, when a crew member tells you something that’s important to them, listen. Especially if it is about turf. Be willing to train someone from the ground up. Some questions young people ask might be rudimentary to you, but they don’t know any better. Treat them how you wish your boss treated you. Guide them along their networking journey and maybe bring them to a conference or a trade show with you. Thousands of high school and college kids are hired as seasonal help on golf courses worldwide. They are impressionable at that age. As a boss in the turf industry, it is your duty to help instill a passion to the next generation. How you treat them in the short time they have in this industry likely determines their thoughts of the industry as a whole. It could ultimately determine if they choose to enter it.