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ENHANCED LEARNING FOR ETON COLLEGE First team senior sports groundsman Carl Reeves keeps his knowledge up to date on the changes in sports turf surfaces The IOG Level 4 course improved Carl’s management skills as well as his turf knowledge
By Chris Gray IOG learning programme architect
What was the main reason for studying an IOG Level 4 qualification? It was the next progression from my NVQ Level 3, which I achieved 10 years ago. I thought the Level 4 sports turf construction and management course with its six modules would really test me and enhance my knowledge and skills, and hopefully take me to the next level as a head groundsman or grounds manager. Also, the home study option was ideal for fitting into my busy home and work life. How do you think you can apply learnings from the course to your work situations? In our industry we have many changes on a daily, monthly and yearly basis – equipment, materials, working practices and daily situations with staff. Looking back I realise that during the year I completed the six modules I gained new ways of finding answers and put them into practice on a day-to-day basis. This proved very helpful for the management of staff in situations like our secondary drainage work. In general, I feel this course has taken my role as a first team senior groundsman to another level. Which subject area most interested you? I enjoyed all six modules, but the design and construction of a natural turf surface was the most enjoyable as during the course our first team football pitch was having secondary drainage installed (over the original drainage system). The reading and revision I was doing for this module fitted in perfectly
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and helped my input into what secondary drainage system would be best to give us the optimum playing surface and produce the best results for the busy schedule on the pitch. This also gave me a greater understanding of what the contractors were doing and enabled me to liaise with them on a daily basis. What do you think the major challenges for the turf industry will be over the next five years? Changes in sports turf surfaces. You need to keep your skills and knowledge up to date with either day courses or online learning studies, as people who you are supplying the surfaces to (professional teams, colleges, universities, schools) are looking for higher standards on a daily basis. This means knowing your soils, seeds, fertilisers and working practices, as well as having a knowledge of the different surfaces. Another challenge is sustainability. I think the sports industry needs to grasp this. We need to be more open minded, especially when it comes to the removal of chemicals, and we need to find new ways and ideas to move forward. I think it will take time, but I think we will find ways. We also need to get sustainability values into our yearly routines and involve the schools, clubs or whoever we work for, as well as the general public. For more information on IOG learning or courses, call 01908 552984 or email learning@iog.org
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