When Sun Roesslein was studying to get her master’s degree in sports administration, she knew that she wanted to work outside. Heading in the direction of becoming a college softball coach, she lucked out one summer by obtaining a job with the local minor league baseball team’s grounds crew and instantly fell in love.
“I really discovered sports field management by accident,” Roesslein, stadium manager of the North Area Athletic Complex for Jeffco Schools Athletics says. “I fell in love with the work. Sports field management is a great mix of being able to stay close to athletics, work outside, provide a safe playing surface for the players to compete in and have consistent challenges. There is always something to improve on or figure out how to modify. At the end of every day there is a lot of pride in setting the stage for every single game.”
Currently, women make up 4 percent of the sports field management industry. The figure doesn’t necessarily surprise Roesslein, though. When she first started in the industry over 20 years ago, she didn’t know any other women in the profession. She proceeded to build her network, eventually meeting other women in the industry and forming a community. Forming these connections helped whenever she experienced challenges on the job, especially when someone would question her experience solely because she was a woman.
“The overall assumption that women can’t perform this physical of a job or they don’t want to get dirty is way off base,” Roesslin says. “That mindset is frustrating to those of us who are driven to learn the entire realm of job responsibilities, want to put in the hard work and are motivated to succeed. As for the physicality of what we do, I’ve seen some of the most creative problem solving involving how to work smarter, not harder.”
It is imperative that women are trained on all aspects of the job and not just be relegated to planting flowers or note taking. Roesslin recommends that all women be trained on the heavy machinery like forklifts so that they can move pallet closers to project sites rather than just carrying the material themselves.
These messages of empowerment are further emphasized in Women in Turfgrass, an organization for women in groundskeeping. The group is made up of golf course superintendents, assistant superintendents, sports field managers, sports field construction experts, researchers, turfgrass equipment mechanic, golf course architect, commercial supplier company representatives and more. The group helps women advance their skills to further progress their careers while also encouraging more women to join the industry.
Women in Turfgrass regularly use social media to promote their message as well. Roesslin believes that social media platforms has helped connect many dots for women within the industry as it helps highlight careers that many people don’t know exist.
“A couple years ago, the Women in Turfgrass team started using the hashtag #SeeItBeIt,” Roesslin says. “We’ve learned that many female turfgrass managers have never worked with another female or even met another woman in the industry, so they feel like they are isolated. For young women especially, being able to see someone who looks like them succeeding in a profession they are interested in is motivating and inspiring.”
While a career in groundskeeping wasn’t her initial plan, Roesslin couldn’t be more grateful for the happy accident. It is exhilarating to overcome a challenge, whether it’s dealing with or preparing for weather events, fixing a piece of equipment, designing a better fertility program. She recognizes that current technological evolution within the industry and how people are changing their approach to better support these practices. None of this intimidates Roesslin, though. If anything, it excites her even more.
“This is a fantastic profession,” Roesslin says. “It is not necessary to have a turfgrass management degree to be successful in this career path. SFMA and GCSAA both offer great educational resources to help you learn anything you need to know to be a great turfgrass manager. I am a huge proponent of stretching comfort zones, too. Trying something new is going to help your growth in unpredictable and great ways. Unexpected growth opportunities, surprising connections and the friendships made have enhanced my life tremendously.”
Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor of the facilities market.
