Recruiting the next generation of groundskeepers and facilities managers has been on the top of almost everyone’s minds as the Baby Boomer generation nears retirement. However, Leah Withrow, head groundskeeper for the Reno Aces has utilized a new tool to get more people to join her team: social media.
Withrow has taken to social media to pull back the curtain on grounds management. In her popular TikToks and tweets, she can be seen painting the field, mowing the grass and even chasing an occasional bird or two off the property.
Showing off what grounds management looks like behind the scenes has helped Gen Z grasp that it’s much more than a labor-intensive job, and that there is an actual science behind it. Viewers leave a wide array of comments on Withrow’s videos, but the most often one is “how do I get into this?” Last summer, Withrow was able to hire crew members because they found out that she was hiring through her videos.
“The internet is a big place, and the algorithm you’re given can either give you a singing cat or it can give you me,” she says.
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