Ryan Woodley
Head Groundskeeper, Staten Island Yankees/Brickman Sports Turf Services; Staten Island, NY
STI Class of 2008
Degree: Sports Turf Management

Taking a Bite Out of the Big Apple
Ryan Woodley hits a homerun working for the New York Yankees minor league system.

Freshly-mown green grass in an intricate interlocking pattern, the perfect infield and a sunny day. These are the things that define a good day for Ryan Woodley on Staten Island, New York. The Head Groundskeeper for the Staten Island Yankees, the New York Yankees minor league team, Ryan has many sports fanatics’ dream job.

He shares, “I work closely with the New York Yankees minor league system, so ensuring that the field will meet the standards of the Yankees and Brickman Sports Turf Services is vital. It’s my job to make sure this field is one of the best in the league and it’s kept at high standards all season long.”

Ryan manages a full-time staff member in addition to coordinating hundreds of temporary help throughout the team’s season. His office overlooks the New York Harbor within view of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Manhattan.

On occasion, he has also had the opportunity to meet many of the Yankee’s biggest players including Derek Jeter and others. He smiles, “New York fans are diehards and I love my job. Working outside and getting to focus on creating and maintaining a perfect field for our team has been an awesome opportunity.”

Ryan notes, “From my experience and talking with industry professionals at national conferences, I feel that the turf department at Southeast Tech offers one of the best two year degrees in the Midwest. I absolutely believe that the hands-on approach I received gave me the knowledge and skills to advance faster in the turf industry.”