Groundskeeper Chats

Building with Grounds in Mind: GroundskeeperChat with Andrew Northeim

Columbus Crew's Head Groundskeeper, Andrew Northeim, played an active role in the team's recent stadium build. Andrew joined us at SFMA to talk about the process and share his insight on how other SFM's can advocate for their position when ensuring that construction projects are building with best grounds cultural practices in mind.

Cultivating Crew Culture Part 2: Groundskeeper Chat with John Clintsman and Dr. Michael Goatley

John Clintsman is the Director of Grounds for Ensworth School in Tennessee and one of our 2022 Pioneers in the Field class members. Dr. Michael Goatley is a professor and turfgrass extension specialist with Virginia Tech and has served as one of John's mentors from early on his career. In this chat, the two talk about how they've learned from one another over the years and how important and great it is to have mentors turned friends in this industry.

Cultivating Crew Culture: Groundskeeper Chat with John Clintsman, Thomas Trotter and Michael Brownlee

At the core John Clintsman's sports turf journey is mentorship, so it was fitting for him to invite two of his mentors, Thomas Trotter and Michael Brownlee to join us for a chat about cultivating crew culture. The three gentlemen reflect on the importance of mentorship in our industry, how culture stems from the leader and how you can find a mentor and friend anywhere you look in sports turf.

Sports Turf Planning: Groundskeeper Chat with Pete Thibeault and Rick Perruzzi

Friends Pete Thibeault with Noble and Greenough Schools and Rick Perruzzi with the City of South Portland join us to discuss how they manage sports turf in their corner of the US. Nothing is black and white in sports turf but these two share how they plan out cultural best practices, season by season.

Strategic Staffing Solutions: Groundskeeper Chat with Abby McNeal

Abby McNeal leads the Denver Parks and Rec crew, a crew that touches over 200 fields throughout the city of Denver. Abby is no stranger to our #GroundskeeperChat series, as this chat will be her third appearance! Abby's expertise and willingness to share what's worked for her is what keeps us asking her to come back time and time again. Listen to this week's chat for Abby's strategies on how to attract and retain new employees. 

Baseball Field Expectations and Maintenance on a Tight Budget: Groundskeeper Chat with Andy Ommen

What started as a volunteer gig fixing one infield spiraled into Andy Ommen finding a passion for sports turf that would lead him to become a respected name in the industry. Today, Andy is a member of the Professional Outdoor Solutions team in Illinois with the mission of improving athletic playing surfaces, "from the ground up." We caught up with Andy after his 2022 SFMA education session to recap the highlights from his talk.

For more Groundskeeper Chat content visit: https://pioneerathletics.com/blog/groundskeeper-chats

2022 Women in Turf Panel Discussion

For the second time, we invite #WomenInTurf to share their experiences in hopes to advocate for more women in our industry!

For more #WomenInTurf content visit: https://pioneerathletics.com/women-in-turf

More to come Summer 2022, stay tuned!

Field Renovation and Managing Events: Groundskeeper Chat with Leah Withrow

Head groundskeeper for the Reno Aces, Leah Withrow joins the chat to talk about her recent field renovation and her upcoming schedule of events. Tune in for Leah's turf tips on how to successfully manage a renovation and the events that inevitably follow. 

Performance Testing: Groundskeeper Chat with Chase Straw

Texas A&M's Chase Straw joins us for his second #GroundskeeperChat appearance to talk about his department's performance testing research and the role performance testing will play in a turfgrass manager's role going forward. 

Groundskeeper Chat with Kelly Lynch

Kelly Lynch, @PureSeed_Chick, joined us for an insightful conversation into her turf story and all the exciting things to come for #WomeninTurf.