SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/113699
SportsTurf: How did you get started in turf management? Burgess: I grew up around turf management on the commercial end of it, as my father was an equipment sales representative. I worked for his landscaping company and was able to ride along with him when he would call on golf courses throughout the Southeast. In high school, I started as a seasonal game timer on the grounds crew for the Charlotte Knights. All I did for the first year was run a chalkbox, drag the infield during the game, and clean dugouts post game. But from the beginning I enjoyed working on the crew and seeing professional baseball. I came back each season and was able to do more and more on the crew. This experience influenced me to go to Clemson University for turfgrass management. While at Clemson, I worked on the grounds crew for the athletic department under the guidance of Mike Echols. I was given the chance to see turfgrass on a year round collegiate level. I progressed to a student turf manager of baseball and had the opportunity and privilege to mow the (real) Death Valley on game day mornings. My last summer in college I was an intern for the Greenville Drive in their 2006 inaugural season under head groundskeeper Ray Sayre. I had a blast that summer and was able to work on a freshly built state-of-the-art baseball field and was able to see first-hand some of the challenges with a new sandbased field. SportsTurf: What was your first sports turf job? Burgess: I was an assistant groundskeeper for the Triple A Charlotte Knights under head groundskeeper Eddie Busque. Eddie has continued to mentor me through all facets of minor league baseball. I was able to work a regular home game schedule, get my first taste of special events, and know the work required throughout the off-season and especially leading into the next season. Eddie has been in the business for quite a while and he is very knowledgeable about the building of new ball fields. Through application, I began to understand the design and components of a ball field that take place under the turfgrass. I'm very grateful for the experience I had in Charlotte. That is where I began to discover what kind of groundskeeper I'd like to be. One year later, the Greenville Drive head groundskeeper position came available and I was lucky enough to get it. The relationships I made with the staff during my internship season proved to be extremely advantageous. Fluor Field at the West End is a 100% sandbased field with a state-of-the-art gravitational drainage system patented by White Sox head groundskeeper Roger Bossard. The sand profile percolates at over 26"/hour into 2 miles of 4", 6", and 8" drain tile. It also has flipper valves installed in case the nearby Reedy River was to ever backup, so the field would not turn into a bathtub. I have learned a great deal about this field and am still learning every day. SportsTurf: How do you see the sports turf manager's job changing in the future? Burgess: What I see changing in the future for turf managers is more of everything. For example, when I first took this position we had 70 Drive home games and a handful of special events ranging from early April to mid-September. This has progressed to this year's schedule of 110 games and roughly 30 special events ranging from mid-February to mid-November. With the effect of the economy, I understand the need for the extra games and events. There is no longer just a 70-game schedule anymore. Managing this extra work load and wear on the field while maintaining our normal cultural practices and keeping the expected high standards I want is the way my job is changing. This is not necessarily a bad thing. I see it as more experience and knowledge I'm gaining, which will be invaluable to me in my next step in my sports turf career. ■ The STMA Field of the Year Awards began in 1988 and are given annually in baseball, football, softball, soccer and sporting grounds in three levels: professional, collegiate and schools/parks. A panel of 11 judges independently scores the applications and the winners are announced at the STMA Annual Conference and Exhibition. Winners receive signature clothing, complimentary conference registration, three night's accommodations and a trophy for display. The Field of the Year Program is made possible through the generous donations of Carolina Green Corporation, Ewing Irrigation Products, Hunter Industries, and World Class Athletic Surfaces, Inc. SportsTurf:What changes if any are you considering or implementing for the winning field in 2012? Burgess: After our 2012 season, we were able to renovate our infield and foul territory turf. We pulled out everything down to the original sand profile to help solve issues we had with uniformity, drainage, and rooting. While keeping my normal fertility program simple, I plan to keep a much closer watch on my nutrient levels on this renovated area, as nutrients will leach out more quickly than rest of the field. And as usual, I'm always trying to think of new ways to become more efficient with any projects in the future. Eventually I'd like to renovate the rest of the field. www.stma.org SportsTurf 37