Groundskeeper Chats

The Business of Turf: Groundskeeper Chat with Marcus Elswick

University of Kentucky's Head Sports Turf Manager, Marcus Elswick joins Meg and Weston for a Groundskeeper Chat to talk about the behind the scenes of the Business of Turf. Marcus has been with the University of Kentucky for 13 years and shared his POV on crew culture and leading with positivity.

Performing Under Pressure: Groundskeeper Chat with Tyler Morris

Tyler Morris of MetLife Stadium joins us mid-season to talk about the nature of his job and the high pressure it's paired with. Tyler shares some stories from the field and the many overnight conversions he and the crew lived through this season. Weston, Meg and Tyler bond over music, hobbies outside of work and everything in between. For your mental health boost give a listen to this week's #GroundskeeperChat! 

• Giants, Jets and Events at MetLife Stadium 
• How Tyler steps away from the field 
• Live segment of "What's behind the headphones"
• And the Weather Report with Weston! 

The Business of Turf: Groundskeeper Chat with John Torres

Director of Grounds for the Philadelphia Union, John Torres discusses the evolution of groundskeeping and MLS since his start in the industry with Meg and cohost, Weston Appelfeller! Here's what you'll hear in our latest #GroundskeeperChat: 

• Who is John Torres outside of work?
• John's Turf Origin Story
• The Importance of "Knocking on the Door" 
• Collecting Data Points and Developing Budgets 
• Lastly, John's excitement over the MLS in the U.S. 

The Business of Turf: Groundskeeper Chat with Danny Losito

When do you sleep? That was our first question and most important question for Danny Losito, CSFM, Director of Sports Fields & Grounds for the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC. Losito comes to the chat with years of experience in almost every arena of the sports world, including shoveling ice for a local hockey team. His expertise expands far beyond the field. Losito shares with us how he manages it all, the conversions, the budgets, the employees and his love for the job.

Visibility Matters: Groundskeeper Chat with Meg Kruger and Weston Appelfeller

Our Groundskeeper Chat co-hosts, Meg and Weston sat down to talk all things branding and how visibility can impact your crew, your career and your community. The duo will be LIVE at SFMA in Daytona Beach this year interviewing guests at the Pioneer Athletics booth, until then here's what you'll hear in this #GroundskeeperChat episode: 

• Branding 101, getting started 
• How to utilize social media for data points and resume building 
• How visibility combats misconceptions in our industry 
• The importance of bringing our industry into the spotlight 
• Lastly, the pair talk about their plans for SFMA, catch us there in January! 

The Business of Turf:Groundskeeper Chat with Ryan Bjorn

Gillette Stadium's Field Superintendent Ryan Bjorn joins our Groundskeeper Chat series to talk the business of turf. Ryan shares his turf origin story with Meg and Weston and brings light to the other professionals he had the opportunity to learn from before he took the job to lead his own crew in New England. Don't miss the opportunity to hear how Ryan and his crew manage it all and a cameo from Turf Twitter superstar, Boyd Bjorn! 

The Business of Turf: Groundskeeper Chat with Brian Hall

Brian Hall is the Facilities and Maintenance Director of Sylvania Recreation District in Sylvania, Ohio. In a single year his department will prepare the fields and grounds to host over 350,000 people for soccer, baseball, softball and so on. Brian joins us to talk about how he plans, budgets and tracks everything in order to be successful year after year.

Inspiring the Next Generation: Groundskeeper Chat with Jakob ”Bobber” Scales

Jakob "Bobber" Scales joins us for this week's #GroundskeeperChat to share his POV as a proud member of the next generation in the turf industry. Bobber talks about everything from his move from Wichita Kansas to Surprise Arizona , building his social portfolio and the origin story behind his nickname. Listen along to Bobber's full episode to hear:  

• How he turned his covid hobby into a career 
• Strategies for securing the next step 
• Building a social portfolio to serve as a resume 
• How veterans can help attract or inspire the next generation 
• Lastly, "The Weather Report" 

A little bit more about our guest...
Jakob "Bobber" Scales is a student at Ottawa University in Arizona and aspiring sports turf manager.  After three summers working with the Wichita Wind Surge, Jakob moved to Arizona to attend school and work at the Royals/Rangers spring training complex, Surprise Sports Complex.

Inspiring the Next Generation: Groundskeeper Chat with Hailey Tucker

Turf Science student Hailey Tucker is entering her Junior year at Texas A&M. She joins us to introduce her new podcast The Grass Gal (@TheGrassGal) and talk about her hopes for inspiring the next generation through conversations with industry leaders and fellow students. Tune in to our latest #GroundskeeperChat to hear Hailey discuss: 

• The origin story behind her new podcast, The Grass Gal 
• Her summer internship with Carolina Green 
• Navigating the transitional phase of student to intern to graduate 
• Choosing a career that caters to having a family 
• Lastly, our newest segment, The Weather Report! 

A little bit more about our guest... 
Hailey Tucker was an animal science major at Texas A&M before turf science caught her eye. After joining the Women in Turf Team at the Little League Softball World Series in 2022, Hailey dove head first into researching all the different career paths in the turf industry. Hailey has worked with Chase Straw, Weston Floyd and Nick McKenna during her time at A&M and Chad Price during her most recent internship with Carolina Green. 

Work/Life Balance: Groundskeeper Chat with Mike and Lisa Goatley

Husband and Wife Duo, Mike and Lisa Goatley, join us for a #GroundskeeperChat to talk about work/life balance in the sports turf industry. The pair share insight and tips for creating healthy habits in the workplace and on the Homefront. Here's what you'll hear in this week's #GroundskeeperChat 

• Being present 
• The importance of assessing your values as an employee and partner 
• How to set boundaries and expectations as an employee early on in your career 
• The Goatley's "What we've learned, sometimes the hard way" 
• Conducting "family business meetings" 
• Lastly, the importance of creating a trusting and communicative relationship with your employer/employee

A little bit more about our guests... 
Lisa Goatley is licensed professional counselor and sees patients struggling with mental health, martial conflict and trauma. Mike Goatley has been a professor and extension turfgrass specialist with Virginia Tech University for over 20 years, with 15 previous years at Mississippi State University. For decades, the couple have been navigating careers and raising children together and are here to tell us what they've learned along the way.