Mitch Hooten, the head groundskeeper of the West Michigan Whitecaps, was recently recognized as one of theĀ Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) and Minor League Baseball Sports Field Managers of the Year. The West Michigan Whitecaps are the Class A Minor League Baseball team, affiliated with the Detroit Tigers in the Midwest League. Hooten manages the grounds of Fifth Third Ballpark,... read more
The Sports Turf Managers AssociationĀ (STMA) andĀ Minor League BaseballĀ (MiLB) recently awarded the Sports Field Managers of the Year awards, which were presented at the Major League Baseball Winter MeetingsĀ and are sponsored by STMA andĀ Echo Tools. VancouverĀ Canadiansā Head GroundskeeperĀ Ross Baron was selected as the winner in the short-season (or rookie) category. Baron and his grounds crew work at Scotiabank Field at Nat... read more
David Mellor, senior director of grounds for the Boston Red Sox, writes about his experience with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in his new memoir āOne Base at a Time: How I Survived PTSD and Found My Field of Dreams.ā Athletic Turf got a behind-the-scenes tour of Fenway Park but also sat down to speak with Mellor about his experiences in... read more
As the college football season quickly approaches, athletic directors and turf managers at universities across the country are busy prepping for one of the busiest times of the year. Amid all the hustle and bustle, we sat down with Amy Fouty, CSFM, assistant athletic director and sports turf manager at Michigan State University (MSU) to talk about her position at... read more
Michigan State University (MSU) recently renovated the turf surface of Spartan Stadium. Amy Fouty, CSFM, assistant athletic director/sports turf manager at MSU, writes about the renovation and how it benefits student athletes and the University. The renovation of the natural grass surface at Spartan Stadium is in the final stages. Its successful transformation will provide MSU a playing surface that... read more
