Field Source

5 years ago today, I sat on my living room couch around 11:30pm, filing the articles of incorporation with the Ohio Secretary of State for this idea I had called Field Source. The idea was simple: take all the parts I loved about my job, from design, construction, and maintenance, then turn them into a company helping others develop and maintain the best sports fields possible. In the year preceding my night on the couch, two people made me believe this was possible. They both said the same thing about taking a huge idea for sports fields and making it into a reality. "I want to do this with the end in mind and do it right from the start. I trust you." Those words fueled me in ways I had not experienced in my career. Shane Adkins and his wife were building a park in Hanover, Ohio, to honor their late son, Wyatt. Shane called me on a referral from a vendor to ask a few questions about building sports fields. Those few questions turned into a 2-hour conversation with many more in the months to follow. The result was a facility that now serves thousands of kids in Licking County and as a beacon for a kid whose light will always shine. Shane ensured Legacy Park would be built well and maintained properly for the safety and enjoyment of all those who played there by taking a chance on me. @ganobleberries and I had been friends for a while by the time his field renovation project at Huntington Park came up in 2017. He did an incredible amount of work to prepare and talked with groundskeepers all over the country. With this huge knowledge base, we worked together on a variety of big and small-picture details to make it one of the best fields in professional baseball. As I sit on a different couch, in a different place, at a different time on this day, and in my life, I'm incredibly grateful for these two people. The fire inside me was burning and still is today. Shane and Wes fueled that fire with opportunities I've never looked back from except in gratitude.

"A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that's teamwork." - John Wooden What a ride it has been with @mitchhooten , @jmjarecki and the entire @wmwhitecaps organization. We started our partnership in November 2021 with the club's ideal end in mind: "The original field lasted 30 years. We need the next one to last just as long and be state-of-the-art." Along the way we worked through the ups and downs of project no one likes to talk about. We had long conversations, at all hours of the day, about worries, hopes, and details that others don't usually have with their project partners. People often talk about the other companies, many of whom Mitch mentioned below, as the great players who helped design or build the project. I want to talk about a few people in the club who made up a big part of the team and put their faith into us. Jim Jarecki, Vice President and General Manager, has been with club for over 30 years, since its inaugural season, and has quite literally seen it all. This was a legacy project for him. After tens of thousands of hours of his professional life spent in this ballpark, this was a chance to help take it to the next level. Early on in this journey, Mitch Hooten proved to me he was an elite professional baseball Head Groundskeeper. Truly one of the best in all of baseball right now. He showed vision by knowing much of what he wanted, sought wisdom by asking the right questions about what he wasn't sure about, and displayed conviction in his belief of doing whatever it took to do things the right way. His trust fueled us to go far beyond any "typical" approach of consultant you might see in a project like this. Behind them was a leadership team and ownership group who pushed us to be better at every step of the project. I can think of no other way to describe it becuase, deep down, it was imperative for us that everyone in the organization and the project team be successful. Those people made this one of the most fulfilling projects we've done in 7+ years of being in business. Everything came together to form a fantastic partnership because the Whitecaps put us in the position we like to be in the best: making everyone better in the process of making a dream into reality. And that's the way it went for @ganobleberries, me, and the rest of the @fieldsourceohio team on this one. Busting our asses to be a player who made the team great instead of simply being a great player. Thank you, West Michigan! ⚾️🌊♥️ #PrepareToPlay

Last game of the year in 2024 to opening day this year. Many thanks to everyone who made this dream a reality. Here is to the next 30 years @TheMotzGroup @PayneSodFarm @fieldsourceohio @waupacasand @DuraEdge @AdvancedTurf @SiteOneSupply @HIWSolutions @wmwhitecaps @ErhardtCC

Last game of the year in 2024 to opening day this year. Many thanks to everyone who made this dream a reality. Here is to the next 30 years @TheMotzGroup @PayneSodFarm @fieldsourceohio @waupacasand @DuraEdge @AdvancedTurf @SiteOneSupply @HIWSolutions @wmwhitecaps @ErhardtCC

Last game of the year in 2024 to opening day this year. Many thanks to everyone who made this dream a reality. Here is to the next 30 years @TheMotzGroup @PayneSodFarm @fieldsourceohio @waupacasand @DuraEdge @AdvancedTurf @SiteOneSupply @HIWSolutions @wmwhitecaps @ErhardtCC

Today ended a five week sprint of speaking engagements which has taken me to: 📍Palm Springs for @FieldExperts 📍Sandusky for @OPRAOhio 📍San Antonio for @TPITurfTalk 📍Upper Arlington for Career Explorations Grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many people, share what little I know, and learn a hell of a lot more in the process. Excited to be close to home for a while and it's no coincidence I saved the most important talk for last. Watching middle school age kids get excited, ask engaging questions, and have a few "wow, that's cool" moments on behalf of turfgrass was amazing to experience. Big thanks to Jake, @fieldsourceohio COO, for teaming up with me in Sandusky. Last but not least, @TurfSpartanLord for being the Babe RUTH of public speaking in Palm Springs! Be part of the change you want to see, ladies and gentlemen. #PrepareToPlay

Yesterday at the @OhioTurfgrass we awarded Brynn Johnson from @OSU_HortCropSci with the Field Source Graduate Student award. Under the advisement of @TylerTalksTurf , Brynn's Masters project focuses on a decision making tool for turf managers to determine appropriate mowing heights and nitrogen rates on Kentucky Bluegrass and Turf Type Tall Fescue under traffic stress. Her work will have a significant impact on turfgrass managers in Ohio and beyond. Congratulations to Brynn and all of the other scholarship and award winners! #PrepareToPlay