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/575944
father, but a better person and that will always make you a bet- ter groundskeeper. SPORTSTURF: How has social media impacted your work? Powell: The community-based sharing perspective is pretty neat because I'm able to hone in on the things that interest my work and me. Whether it's a person, group, or subject, I can follow current trends and activities in our profession that, more times than not, can be a catalyst for further research and information gathering. I'm trying to jump in myself on Twitter nation at @BrownsGrounds. SPORTSTURF: What's your favorite on-field maintenance task that you still enjoy performing? Powell: If you don't mow it, you don't know it! SPORTSTURF: How do you think the profession and indus- try will change in the next 10 years? Powell: I think in some form or fashion, field certification will eventually be required at most competitive levels. Here in the NFL, we are going into our fourth year complying with league set standards for field conditions while also follow- ing the recommended practices in order to achieve some sort of consistency across the league. I believe that this proactive approach is a collaboration with results that not only provides justification and merit for our responsibilities, but to all parties involved, a measurable way of ensuring a safe and playable field. SPORTSTURF: How has your career benefitted from being a member of STMA? Powell: Being a member of STMA, I am able to network and connect with other groundskeepers at all levels and experi- ence. Every one of us shares a common devotion for providing safe and playable fields and it's no different if the end users are million dollar athletes or grade school ballers. We can all learn from one another and STMA gives us the means to do this. SPORTSTURF: What are your passions and interests out- side of work? Powell: One of the reasons I chose to go into groundskeep- ing is the love of the outdoors. Hard to imagine, but I really enjoy doing yard work around the house and also working on outdoor projects such as my backyard "Family-Oasis." Whether it's the out- door movie theater or the in-ground fire pit, nothing beats sitting around with the family under the stars watching classic movies or listening to good music and eating sticky s'mores. ■ ST www.stma.org October 2015 | SportsTurf 35 Chris with his wife and high school sweetheart, Stephanie, who's been by his side for 26 years.