ask the expert

Bob Campbell is director of sports turf for the University of Knoxville. He and his staff of five full-time people and five part-time students are responsible for all the university's athletic fields, including the footlball stadium and practice fields, as well as fields for baseball, softball, soccer, track and a golf practice facility. Campbell has held the position since 1990. He was president of the Sports Turf Manager's Association (STMA) from 2003-04.

In your career, what have been the biggest changes in sports field management?

Not long ago there were very few professional sports turf managers. The position was given to anyone who could cut grass, and in many cases that person would serve as both a custodian and groundskeeper. That is changing. Now, expectations for field conditions are very high, and it takes a professional to do the job. Candidates for the top jobs need education and experience. Today, sports field management is a professional occupation.

What is the biggest challenge facing sports turf managers?

Overuse of our fields. The turf has to recover, and with expectations for field conditions increasing, it’s made our job that much more difficult. For me, the solution is communication. I try to educate coaches about the consequences of overusing their fields. They are going to make the final decisions about how often they use them, but I try to explain the consequences of too much activity and try to get them to buy into our programs.

Why is it important to be a member of the Sports Turf Manager’s Association (STMA)?

It’s our organization, which is dedicated to promoting us as the professionals that we are. And, membership offers educational opportunities, which are important to career growth. However, I believe the most important reason to join STMA is networking. We all have similar goals and problems. I know personally that it’s great to be able to pick up the phone or send an e-mail to a colleague to help me with a problem I may be having. We’ve all been there at one time or another, and there’s someone in our organization who has the solution to what we need to know.

You’re a Certified Sports Field Manager (CSFM). Why is that designation important to you?

Every occupation that considers itself to be professional has some type of certification or licensing. For sports field managers, certification gives us credibility. It shows we know what we’re doing and are dedicated to our profession. We’ve made a commitment and want to be recognized as professionals. Equally important, it makes a statement about where our salary scale should be.

What steps are important to career advancement?

I always preach patience to young people who want to get into this profession. I know everyone wants to start at the top, but you’re going to have to work your way up the career ladder. You’re not going to earn a fortune in this profession, so you’ve got to enjoy what you’re doing. The way this profession has evolved, it’s not so much about growing grass. Everyone can do that. Success depends on getting along with people. If you can’t do that and be a good communicator, you won’t last very long.

What satisfies you most about your job?

At the University of Tennessee, we take tremendous pride in our sports fields. When a spectator walks into our football stadium, for example, those first few seconds are critical. We want to give them an impression that takes their breath away. The great thing about our profession is that we’re part of people’s memories. It might be a youth league, high school or college field. When someone walks onto that venue, we want them to remember how great it was to be there years ago, whether they were players or fans. It’s important that we do everything we can to preserve those memories. We’re stewards of those traditions.