How did you get into the sports turf industry?

Taking care of baseball fields is something I’ve done since I was fifteen.  I worked for my hometown, taking care of about ten fields.  Originally I went to school and got a degree in Sports Administration as kind of a fall back plan.  Afterwards, I interned with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers with their grounds crew to get more experience.  I learned about Homefield and when a job opened up, I applied, met Mike Robinson for lunch and began working for Homefield shortly after.  I’ve been there for almost a full year now and I’ve really enjoyed the field installation side of the business.  

 

Did you have any mentors in the industry?

When I first started at home, I had to teach myself most things.  But, once I went to the Scrappers, the Head groundskeeper Ryan Olszewski proved to be a great guy to learn from.  When I started with Homefield, Steve (Trosen) and Mack (Jaehnig) were guys I really learned a lot from.  I’ve had the opportunity to work with both crews and it’s been great to be able to learn different things from each of them.

 

What are your favorite parts of your job?

Traveling around and getting to see and work at different places like professional and college fields that I haven’t seen before.  We work on a lot of different kinds of fields, but every once in a while we get to work at those big venues which is a treat.  Also, working outside.  I get to work on baseball fields and be outside most everyday so I really can’t complain.

 

What are the biggest challenges in your line of work?

Getting to a job and the unknown of what we’re getting into.  Every field is different.  Some are close to ready and others are the farthest thing from it.  You have to approach every job differently and be ready to be somewhat creative in how we get each job done.

 

What are some of your favorite activities outside of work?

I enjoy anything to do with sports.  I watch about any sports on TV, but also play softball and golf during the nicer weather months.  During the winter, I also play a lot of basketball.

 

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About DuraEdge Products

Based in Grove City, PA, DuraEdge Products specializes in the production of top-quality products and services for the baseball and softball industry to provide long-term soil solutions, and to cover all the bases for safe and playable infields for the Sports Turf Industry across the United States and abroad.