Statement from Jerad Minnick on President’s Award For Leadership

“Game Changer”. What a tremendous theme for the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) national conference last week. The STMA gathering in San Diego involved non-stop sharing and idea generation between Sports Turf Managers from around the world. Friday night’s Awards Banquet was the culmination. Founder’s Award were presented, Fields of the Year were all honored, and students were praised.  Each and every person or team honored, unique in their own way, overcome challenge to create great things with hard work and professionalism. An absolutely wonderful night all around. Bravo STMA!

Former President Allen Johnson’s presentation of the President’s Award for Leadership turned the banquet personal for me. In introducing the award, Mr. Johnson’s description of leadership was captivating. What a wonderful description. “It (leadership) is an act of someone who is unprovoked by others, but rather is driven from within themselves to set upon a course of action to accomplish something that they believe simply needs to be done. They demonstrate a passion for their vision and take measurable actions in achieving their goal. No matter how difficult the task or the odds stacked against them they forge on, knowing that their pursuit is a worthy endeavor.”

Working daily with Sports Field Managers and seeing first hand the effort they put into their natural grass fields is the best part of my role as an Advisor. Especially when perception and teaching still is that natural grass fields can not sustain an increased amount of use. Yet all around us Sports Field Managers make the impossible possible every single day. They display passion and perseverance. Many times they are required to sacrifice. But they forge on and get the job done because they love what they do.

With the description of “leadership” that President Johnson gave, I could think of so many people that deserve a leadership award. When “Jerad Minnick” came from his mouth, I nearly fell from my chair (that, or my colleague and friend Simon Gumbrill might have pushed me!). I appreciate the award greatly. THANK YOU. But this award really belongs to all of YOU. YOU vendors in our industry that are creating new solutions for old problems. YOU Sports Field Managers who are willing to buy into new ideas and set examples of how natural grass sustain an increased amount of use. Without your professionalism and hard work to produce shining examples of high quality, high use natural grass fields, I would just look like a raving lunatic living in a land of fantasy! THANK YOU to each and every one of YOU for what YOU do in proving that natural grass fields can take more!

And a heart felt THANK YOU to former President Johnson for the recognition. It’s special to receive a leadership award from a President that lead us all by example. Mr. Johnson, your professionalism and hard work makes the impossible possible… growing perfect grass for the Green Bay Packers. Thank you Mr. Johnson. You give us all an example to follow.

It is truly an honor to receive the President’s Award for Leadership. But ultimately, this award isn’t for or about Jerad Minnick… its about every one of YOU that prove wrong the perception natural grass can not take an increased amount of use. But we have no time for celebrate, our work is only STARTED. I hope YOU are excited as I am about the bright future for Sports Field Managers and the potential for natural grass fields. #GrassCanTakeMore!

“Success is no accident.  It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do”- Pele 

Transcript from Former President Allen Johnson’s introduction of the President’s Award for Leadership:

There are many different ideas of what constitutes the word Leadership. For the purposes of this award tonight, I’d like to define what leadership means to me. Its the act of someone who is unprovoked by others, but rather is driven from within themselves to set upon a course of action to accomplish something that they believe simples needs to be done. They demonstrate a passion for their vision and take measurable actions in achieving their goal. No matter how difficult the task or the odds staked against them they forge on, knowing that their pursuit is a worthy endeavor.

I do not personally know the individual that I have selected for tonight’s honor, but I know of them. I have shaken their hand only twice and said hello. However, I am aware of this person’s pursuit of their goal. At a time when it is so desperately needed in our industry, this person has been a staunch advocate for natural grass and its’ use as a playing surface for athletes across all sports and age groups. They have not only been a leading voice for the benefits that natural grass provides, but they have also benefited our industry by introducing ideas and concepts which push the professional sports field manager to better themselves, to push the envelope in their management techniques, and become even more valuable to their organizations.

Promoting the benefits of natural grass for athletic surfaces is not only highlighted as one of the main goals in the STMA’s strategic plan, it is sorely needed in our industry because it rarely has a voice to speak on its behalf. For these reasons I can think of no better person or no better time to honor this year’s Presidential Award for Leadership as Jerad Minnick.