Even though Kent State’s sports teams are not playing during the summer, the crew who takes care of the athletic fields on campus is still hard at work.

The athletics division of the grounds department is responsible for taking care of the game and practice fields for football, baseball, softball, soccer, field hockey and track.

The crew is made up of four full-time staff members. Grounds supervisor Mike Pennock said the small crew has to work very hard to get the large workload finished on time.

The athletics crew had 10 employees, but the number has been reduced due to budget cuts.

Crew members start each day with a morning meeting that begins at 7 a.m. They receive assignments for the day before heading out to brave the elements.

“They work in the sun all day long,” Pennock said. “I’m always reminding them to wear sunscreen.”

Mowing, fertilizing and preparing the fields for practices and games takes up a majority of the crews’ time. The workers mow most of the fields three times a week and fertilize most fields about once a month. They also prepare fields for summer camps that the university hosts for high school students.

“Our hardest job during the summer is preparing for summer camps,” said crew member Rebekkah Berryhill. “We have to cater to five different sports, and it’s hard to schedule times to get things done.”

The crew also has to repair damage done to the fields during the regular season.

“We have a six to seven week window for repairs, when nobody’s on the fields,” Pennock said.

Painting and lining the fields for games, camps and practices also is a big part of the crews’ schedule. They must be very careful when lining the fields for games.

“Everything has to be measured, and it must be accurate,” Pennock said. “We can’t be more than two inches off.”

Sometimes the crew adds the university or MAC logos to the fields for special events or tournaments.

“It’s a little something extra to psych up the players,” Pennock said.

While the crew spends the majority of their time working on grass fields, they still have to devote some time to the Astroturf at the stadium. The crew is responsible for sweeping the field once a week.

One of the crews’ top priorities is keeping the fields safe for athletes.

“The last thing we want is someone getting hurt on our fields,” Berryhill said. “We try to maintain a safe area for these athletes and keep it looking nice for the fans.”

The crew doesn’t get a break during the winter. During the off-season, they are assigned to snow removal.

Despite the long hours, harsh weather and hard work, employees said they enjoy the job.

Crew member Shannon Booher said he started out working on a different crew but likes working on the athletics crew the most.

“I grew up playing football, so I enjoy being around athletics and the administration,” he said.

Berryhill said she gets the most satisfaction out of her job when others compliment her on a job well done.

“We kind of have a thankless job,” she said. “I like to know when the kids are pleased with the fields.”

Pennock said the best part about working for the crew is feeling like you are a part of the team.

“When the team wins a game or a championship, we like to think that we contributed a little something to that,” he said.

E-mail: lbreece@kent.edu