"I love the immediate gratification of a well-prepped field," said David Bennett Longwood's baseball and softball fields welcome incomers driving down South Main Street before they even get a glimpse of the University. Whether teams are on the field playing or the fields appear to be empty, there are still probably three people there. One of which is Bennett. His office can be found under the softball field bleachers. The office is small, and his desk sits in the back left corner of the room on which a computer and phone lay. Bennett is the Fields Manager of Longwood Uni¬versity. Under Bennett are two employees, Kenny Nelson and Daniel Senger. Together, these three individu¬als are responsible for maintaining all of the ath¬letic fields at Longwood. Those fields include the softball and baseball fields, the field for lacrosse, field hockey and soccer, the Lancer Park fields and even the tennis courts.
Originally the Head Groundskeeper of the Long¬wood Golf Course, Bennett has worked for the University for over 10 years. Six years ago, Bennett was asked to help manage Longwood's athletic fields, and he agreed.
"Maintaining" is a very loose definition for what the grounds crew does on a daily basis, especially considering Bennett's truck holds 380,000 miles. The Bermuda grass found in the outfield of the softball and baseball fields will ideally be cut every Monday, Wednes¬day and Friday. During and between that time, teams are likely to play on the fields of¬ten, which means a substantial amount of time is set aside for prepping and cleaning up. Bennett can be found at the fields at least six days a week.
At least four hours before game-time, Bennett and his crew prep the field, ensuring the grass is cut, the chalk lines are clear and straight, and the dirt is tilled. Following the game, they prep the field for the next day and pick up all the trash that has accumulated in the bleachers. Gum, one of the smallest pieces of trash, remains one of the toughest things to clean up. "Even the referees chew gum," said Bennett.
Along with prepping and cleaning up the fields, there are other jobs which go under the radar. One of those jobs includes following the Chesapeake Bay Nutrient Guidelines so as to prevent the run¬off of fertilizers. The guidelines restrict Bennett on how much nitrogen and other additives he and his crew can put into their fertilizers per square foot on every field. According to Bennett, people come to monitor the soil acidity often.
Since Longwood University Athletics joined Di¬vision 1 in 2007, new equipment has not been sup¬plied to the grounds crew. The newest additions to the softball and baseball fields were the drainage holes put in this year. Bennett proudly commented, "We haven't lost any games to rain." The equipment used by the grounds crew includes a total of three lawn mowers, three different types of aerators (that spiked machine used to puncture holes in the ground for better drainage), a top dresser (for field lines), a Komodo tractor and other smaller tools.
Bennett is proud of the work he provides. He maintains many fields, but also maintains a smile. "I'll make the best of what I've got," said Bennett. He loves working outside and understands how essential his job is to ensure that games start on time and fields are available for practice every day. Though his job seems endless, Bennett also finds time to look for improvement: "If we had the money, I would refine the baseball field as much as I could." His enthusiasm was obvious.
Next time you travel to an athletic event, take a look at the facilities and remember the freshly tilled dirt and the carefully mown grass. Remember the absence of gum, wrappers and bottles. More importantly, remember David Bennett's office under the softball field bleachers.
