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Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. This episode spotlights New England Sports Field Management Association member James Lappetito – Head Sports Turf Manager at Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut. Read from New England Blade magazine.

How did you get your start in the sports field industry?

I went to Michigan State University for a BS in crop and soil science specializing in Turfgrass management. While in school I did an Internship with the Colorado Rapids MLS team. This was a 25-field mostly soccer facility. Including two synthetic fields, one sand-based practice field and the main stadium field.

Where did you go from there?

Denver Broncos Training facility (CO) – two natural grass field and one 70 yard plastic field: Game Day Inc (VA) – Mostly field construction and sprigging but managed our George Mason University account caring for all athletic fields; Dominion Valley CC (VA) – Two 18 hole courses; Maryland Soccerplex (MD) – 24 field soccer complex with cool season warm season and plastic fields; PPL Park (PA) – One high end stadium field; Pratt and Whitney Stadium(CT) – One High end stadium field and 110 acres of property.

Who were your mentors when you were first starting out in the industry, and why?

Bret Baird (Dicks Sporting Goods Park) – He was my first boss/trainer in the industry. Great teacher. He was my main driver early on to continue down the sport turf path and assisted in my employment with the Broncos.

Jerad Minnick (Maryland Soccer Plex) – One of the most innovative turf minds I’ve ever met. He’s always pushed me to be the best turf manager I can be. Amazing teacher and friend. Has been one of my closest turf peers over the years.

What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received?

Sometimes the best but hardest thing you can do for turf is nothing. You need to let the plant just do what it does and grow.

Once you have your plan in place you need to give time for the turf to react before you know if it’s working. Consistency is key.

What is the next “game-changer” you see on the horizon for the sports turf industry?

Testing improvements. The better we get at quality and useful data collection, the better we can do our jobs. I love data! Takes away the guessing when needing to make decisions.

Robotics will also become more involved in our lives, but they aren’t quite ready for the high-end fields yet.

What’s your favorite/most useful:

Equipment?

Anything related to surface hygiene, Sweepers, Turf rakes, Verticutters, Aerifiers, Spring Tine harrows

Product?

Any product that helps manage Organic Matter and water movement

Technology?

SGL Pods or any tool that helps monitor soil conditions

What advice would you share with people starting out in sports field management today?

When starting out, prioritize experience over status. Some of the best jobs experience I got early on were at places with small crews and budgets.

Can you share a bit about your family life and/or what you enjoy doing in your free time?

Kristin and I have been married since 2017. We have one daughter and two cats (currently dogless but that never lasts with us). We are both avid gardeners and scuba divers. I use my plant and soil science skills to push our extensive garden to new levels. I absolutely love cave diving, but any time spent underwater blowing bubbles brings me peace.

Turf is my profession, Surf is my passion!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with your fellow NE-SFMA members?

Sports turf management is fun and rewarding, don’t forget that when you’re in the grind.

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