Between the Lines
Between the Lines Where Are They Now? Catching Up with Waddington/Harper Turfgrass Scholarship Winners
K
yle Patterson still recalls his feeling upon winning the Waddington/Harper Turfgrass Scholarship in 2014: “To see that somebody else thought I had a chance to be successful meant more to me than any sort of monetary contribution!” Since 2001, KAFMO has been recognizing outstanding students of sports turf management with a scholarship named in honor of Dr. Donald Waddington and in memory of Dr. John Harper, two pillars of the Penn State turf program. The scholarships are awarded to advance students’ educational potential in the science of turfgrass management. We caught up with Kyle and three other Waddington/Harper Scholarship recipients to find out where their careers have taken them since graduation, and what impact the scholarship had.
Scholarship Impact
Ryan Radcliffe (Penn State 2001), Ben Polimer (Delaware Valley College 2004), Julie Adamski (Penn State 2012), and Kyle Patterson (Penn State 2014) all felt the impact of the scholarship in
different ways. For Ryan Radcliffe, supervisor of grounds for the Middlesex Vocational School system, and Julie Adamski, Managing Director for NGAG, tuition assistance was a boon. Adamski adds that it also opened doors for meeting industry professionals. “As a college student it was great to be able to talk to those who have had experience and learn from them,” she recalls. Kyle Patterson, Campus Turf Manager at Towson University, remembers that winning the Waddington/Harper Scholarship was a huge confidence boost. “I used that confidence as a jumping off point post-graduation,” he says. Ben Polimer, who works for the town of Weston, MA, says that the scholarship introduced him to the Sports Turf Chapters of STMA. “Did I know at that point how involved I would become in both my local chapter, NESTMA and STMA? No way!” Polimer is currently the President of NESTMA and received two national awards from STMA in 2014 and 2015.
Why Turf Management?
When asked what originally attracted them to turf management, the two common denominators were sports and the outdoors. Radcliffe recalls that at a very young age he knew he wanted to be a groundskeeper. “I remember watching sporting events on TV not so much for the game but how the fields looked.” Through high school, Polimer worked for his dad taking care of a little
Keystone Athletic Field Managers Organization 1451 Peter’s Mountain Road Dauphin, PA 17018-9504 www.KAFMO.org Email: KAFMO@aol.com 14 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Winter 2019
league complex in his hometown of Sharon, MA. Patterson wanted to be involved in sports and “upon realizing that the participating side wasn’t going to get me there, I had to find a different avenue.” Adamski loved sports and science and “didn’t want to be in an office all day, every day… being around sports has been a bonus.”
No Two Careers Alike
So what does a turf management career look like after graduation? As it turns out, no two career paths are alike. Polimer has been Field and Grounds Manager for the town of Weston, MA since January 2016. He is responsible for all green space in town: sports turf, lawns, and landscapes around school and municipal buildings. He is also responsible for site work for the school department and project manager for any outdoor projects in town. His favorite thing about the job is the confidence the citizens have in him to make their green space as nice as possible. Adamski manages the Natural Grass Advisory Group (NGAG), a field testing, education, and advisory company. She says the athlete is the number one priority for any sport and the one thing that has a direct impact on any athlete is the field. She loves being able to make a difference in field safety and performance. Radcliffe is kept busy with 160 acres to maintain for the five schools in the Middlesex Vocational School system. He is particularly proud of their baseball
Contact: Linda Kulp, Executive Secretary Phone: 717-497-4154 kulp1451@gmail.com
Contact: Dan Douglas, President Phone: 610-375-8469 x 212 KAFMO@aol.com
