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/266752
WHY STMA SHOULD CONSIDER YOUR FIELD A WINNER? Fouty: I cannot express how proud I am each day to work with an out- standing turf staff who has taken the lead in proper communication with coaches, staff, and players to create a "team" working environment for the success of the field as well as the team. In addition to this, the time, effort, and care taken each day by the staff and students to make Kobs Field the best in the Big Ten, makes me proud to be a part of our operation and help these young folks learn their trade for future success. We have continually strived to be the best with limited resources and staff and have the support and understand of our administration and baseball team during the 4 seasons of the year we experience during the Big Ten baseball season. Knoodle: I feel that Kobs Field should be considered Field of the Year because of the progress we have made in the playing surface. As a student I was a part of the initial renovation and now 6 years later I lead the daily op- erations on the field. Although we do not have a full time staff even a quarter of a Major League Baseball facility I feel we manage the field and teach our interns, students, coaches, and players the same techniques used in order to give them the look and feel of playing on a Major League Baseball field. That being said, it takes a great deal of communication on behalf of myself, crew members and coaches to discuss the proper technique and daily tasks that need to be completed in order to keep the field playing at its very best. With many games finishing and almost every practice taking place after work hours, it is very important that players help us by tarping the mound and home plate, dragging the infield and base paths. We hold a "groundskeeper hour" where I train the players and coaches on the way we like to maintain the field. Another reason I feel we should all be considered a winner is the extra time we take to pay attention to the "little things" that many spectators and players do not see but expect to be completed. We pack holes with clay everyday in the season, we nail drag and drag every single day, bases are cleaned after every game, dugouts are cleaned everyday, bullpen turf areas are cleaned everyday. These are just a few of the things we take great pride in. The main reason I feel we should be considered a winner is we bring a big league playing surface to college athletics with minimal staff. SportsTurf: What channels of communication do you use to reach coaches, administrators, and users of your facility? Any tips for communi- cating well? Fouty: Communication has been a critical piece to the puzzle for the suc- cess we have shared in the field's operations area. One of my communication strategies is always, communicate early and often. I try to always plan for challenges and discuss them with those around me to come up with accept- able solutions prior to the problem. With a small staff and limited resources, organization in key to getting the job done professionally. There is so much technology with smart phones, computers, etc. Communication is fast and easy, my office is always on my hip. ST: What are your specific responsibilities? Fouty: Our area is responsible for maintaining all the outdoor athletic fields for the Athletic Department here at MSU. This includes a grass prac- tice football field, an artificial practice football field, a stadium football field, a practice soccer field, a soccer game field, a softball field, and a baseball sta- dium. In addition to this we maintain the hitting and pitching building, in- door practice football facility, and various general grounds and landscaping in and around these areas. I am also involved in projects as assigned related to outdoor facilities which could be anything from field renovation, concert preparation and planning, to stadium maintenance projects. Knoodle: I manage the day to day operations of the Old College Field Complex on campus which include a practice and game soccer field, softball field and baseball field. We also maintain all the general use turf areas and landscaping inside the complex. ST: What tasks do you find most enjoyable? Fouty: I enjoy the opportunity to work on a variety of projects and mentor staff and students whether they are turf students or student-athletes. Knoodle: The most enjoyable part to me is being outside and being able to work with my hands and using teamwork with staff to perform and com- plete a task. I also enjoy being at MSU with a great turf program, allowing me to teach new turf students while they are in school. ST: What task is your least favorite and why? Fouty: My least favorite task would be all the paper work. I am not much of an office person. Knoodle: My least favorite part or task is telling coaches and players due to weather the game will have to be canceled. We do not have many of these issues but whenever they come up it is a challenge to make everyone under- stand the safety of the player is always number 1 and the playability of the field is very important as well. Sometimes Mother Nature wins. ST: How did you get your start in turf management? What was your first job? Fouty: I have always loved sports and being outside. I began my career at a golf course taking care of clubhouse grounds 22 years ago. I worked on the golf side for 8 years and attended Michigan State University earning a Turfgrass Management degree in 1996. As time went on, I was given the opportunity to take care of the daily operations for football and soccer field management at the University of Michigan for 5 seasons. The ultimate op- portunity to return to my alma mater came in December of 2003 when I was offered the Athletic Turf Manager position at Michigan State University for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. I have been here 10 seasons and take great pride and pleasure doing what I love for MSU. I became CSFM in 2004. Knoodle: I have worked in the sports turf Industry since 2005. As a stu- dent at MSU I worked for 3-4 years on the athletic fields. I was involved in 44 SportsTurf | March 2014 www.sportsturfonline.com Kobs Field, McLane Baseball Stadium Continued on page 49