DelVal alumnus featured by SportsTurf magazine
SportsTurf magazine doesn't normally feature individual Field of the Year award winners so prominently, but they made an exception for Rob Galdieri '09. The Delaware Valley University alumnus took home both the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) College Baseball and College Softball Field of the Year awards for 2016 for his work as the sports turf manager at Marywood University.
Galdieri is on the cover of the June issue of SportsTurf magazine and was interviewed by the publication about his success in his career and his recent awards.
“Rob’s passion for baseball inspired him to study turf management and motivated him as a student,” said DelVal Professor of Turf Management Dr. Doug Linde. “Rob took advantage of the internship opportunities DelVal provided. He discovered he wanted a career in the sports turf industry and is now successful.”
As an undergraduate at DelVal, Galdieri worked summers at a local golf course to gain hands-on experience. In 2007, before graduating, he was hired by PNC Field in Moosic, Pennsylvania as a groundskeeper. After earning his degree in turf management, he landed a job with PNC Field as a full-time assistant groundskeeper. At PNC Field, he supervised a crew of four to six seasonal employees and gained valuable experience. Then, in 2014, Marywood University hired him to manage the athletic fields. He is responsible for three fields that are used for softball, baseball and soccer/field hockey at the University. In addition to the recent awards, a baseball field Galdieri is responsible for also won the "Field of Distinction" award from the Keystone Athletic Field Managers Organization (KAFMO). KAFMO is the Pennsylvania chapter of the Sports Turf Managers Association.
Galdieri transformed the fields at Marywood. When he arrived in 2014, the fields were unhealthy due to weeds, a lack of water and nutrients and disease. He developed a plan for proper irrigation and fertilization and returned the fields to a healthy state. Galdieri enjoys seeing the athletes using the improved, award-winning fields.
Galdieri said his DelVal degree helped him launch a rewarding career in turf management.
"I really enjoyed my time at Delaware Valley University," said Galdieri. "You had to work in your field to gain experience. That, combined with what I learned in the classroom with Dr. Linde set me in the right direction."