Being a Lone Ranger doesn't work in field management
5 Jan, 2011 By: Ron Hall Athletic Turf NewsExperienced sports field managers, especially those responsible for multiple fields, have learned (usually the hard way) that working without a calendar-based maintenance plan and not cultivating helpful allies within their respective organizations leads to frustration, exhaustion and, sometimes, unemployment.
Ron Hostick, CSFM, admits that it took him more than a few years to figure this out at San Diego State University where he is head of grounds. He says he’s still refining the process at the university, which has more than 30,000 students.
Hostick, 36 years in grounds management, shared valuable lessons he’s learned at the 2010 STMA Conference. Although a year has passed since his presentation they’re equally valid today.
Help define the process
Hostick’s main point: Become a part of the team that makes decisions about when and how the fields you are responsible for maintaining will be used. If you’re not a part of the process you’re at the mercy of competing forces, yours often being the least understood or appreciated.
How do you get a seat at the table? You stress the number one reason for proper field maintenance — participant safety. While nobody wants to see a player injured, be it as a result of competition or poor field conditions, organizations fear legal actions.
“If we don’t do everything we can to make sure fields are safe we’re just opening ourselves up to litigation. That’s the world we live in,” says Hostick. “As we lose quality, we lose safety. The two are tied together.”
At SDSU, Hostick began including himself in the monthly sports facility meetings. As important as that is in acquiring a voice on field use, it’s not a substitute for keeping lines of communication open with administrators, athletic directors, coaches and others with a stake the organization’s sports programs.
His message to all of them is simple, a positive but firm message. He wants them to be successful, meaning that he and his staff must be given adequate time to perform necessary maintenance and seasonal renovations.
Trust is essential to building relationships with administrators, coaches, athletic directors and others with a stake in field use. “I go to great lengths to protect my reputation. I do what I say,” says Hostick, “even if it takes the hide off.”
Can this work for you?
Here are some of the other points that Hostick made in his presentation, tips you might want to use in your programs:
— Everybody has to understand the process and who gets precedence in field use. In SDSU’s case, athletics gets precedence over recreational use. But everybody has to be aware of the need to close fields during inclement weather and for necessary maintenance and renovation.
— He prepares an annual renovation calendar that he presents to coaches and other people with a stake in field use each September. He says there is always some negotiation then and throughout the year about who and when fields will be available for play.
— He also prepares weekly field maintenance schedules as reminders. He’s found that this reduces conflicts over who gets to use the fields.
— An online website provides SDSU employees a daily schedule of takes to be performed on each field, such as mowing or irrigation repair.
— When dealing with special requests for field users and others he advises that the correspondence be put it in writing. Memories can be faulty. “Send me an email, don’t just tell me. I won’t remember and I want a record,” says Hostick.
He says that the success of grounds managers — apart from their professional efforts — hinges on interaction, which is dependent on building allies within different group. Fields are there to use, but any field has limits.
Finally, he says, look for ways to advertise your successes. Stress the safety of the athletes. “Let users know. They’re not going to realize what they have otherwise.”
 | Article
Driving Daytona 1 Sep, 2000 |
| Article
The hole story on aerating 1 Jul, 2001 | |
 | Article
LM Week in Review: Athletic Turf 24 Jun, 2002 |
| Article
Upheavals mark seed trade 1 Aug, 2002 | |
| Article
Prep your fields for spring 1 Jan, 2003 | |
| Article
LM WiR: Turf Management 28 Mar, 2003 | |
Please send any technical comments or questions to our webmaster.