WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (Feb. 29, 2008) – Don Fowler has volunteered as a Little League Baseball World Series groundskeeper and field manager since 1996, and in his time caring for the field at Little League International’s Howard J. Lamade Stadium he is proud to say that the grass and his life have both been greener.

Recently, Mr. Fowler, 70, traveled to Phoenix, Ariz., with his wife of 47 years, Charlotte, to receive the Dick Ericson Award from the SportsTurf Managers Association (STMA). As one of the STMA’s prestigious Founders Awards, the Dick Ericson award, is given to a sports turf manager who positively impacts the sports turf industry and exhibits effective team leadership.

Don Fowler, right, has worked on the Little League Baseball World Series fields since 1996. Recently, Mr. Fowler of McConnellsburg, Pa., received the Dick Ericson Award from the SportsTurf Managers Association (STMA). As one of the STMA’s prestigious Founders Awards, the Dick Ericson award, is given to a sports turf manager who positively impacts the sports turf industry and exhibits effective team leadership. Mr. Fowler, is pictured with his son, Jeff, middle, and his grandson, Evan, who have all spent time on the World Series grounds crew.

“Receiving the award was quite a humbling experience,” Mr. Fowler, who specializes in basepaths, pitcher’s mounds and installing infields, said. “I share this award with a lot of people, including every member who has served on the grounds crew at the Little League World Series, and Little League’s Cheryl Miller, who takes care of the fields the other 50 weeks out of the year.”

Mr. Fowler suspects his friend, Dan Douglas, the head groundskeeper for the Philadelphia Phillies’ minor league affiliate in Reading, Pa., was responsible for submitting his name to the STMA nomination committee. Mr. Douglas is the president of the Keystone Athletic Field Managers Organization (KAFMO), Pennsylvania’s chapter of the STMA, and along with Mr. Fowler, is a founding member of KAFMO.

After 33 years with the Pennsylvania State Extension Services, Mr. Fowler retired in 1994 as director of the Fulton County Extension where he was responsible for live stock and crop production. That same year, he became involved in several baseball field revitalization projects, including one for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and several Major League Baseball spring training fields.

Two years later, the McConnellsburg, Pa., resident, was consulting for Alpine Services, which was contracted by Little League International to rebuild the playing surface at Lamade Stadium in preparation for the 50th anniversary of the Little League Baseball World Series in August of 1996.

Serving as clerk of the works, Mr. Fowler was the liaison between Little League International and Alpine Services. The relationship took root, and since the completion of that project, he has volunteered at the Little League Baseball World Series along with his twin brother, Dave, son, Jeff, and grandson, Evan.

“I have three sons, and all three played Little League,” Mr. Fowler said. “I helped fix my son’s Little League and high school fields and that’s what got me started in renovating fields. Dave, who lives in Knox, Pa., got his start working on his daughter’s softball field.”

Since his first Little League Baseball World Series, Mr. Fowler has come to appreciate the year-round efforts of the Little League International grounds staff. During the World Series the only mission is to get the games played, which in any given Pennsylvania August can pose a unique test for both man and turf.

“After all of these years, the volunteers who keep coming back have a pretty good handle on what it takes to get the job done,” Mr. Fowler said. “I give a lot of credit to Cheryl (Miller) and the crew she works with, because when we get on the World Series fields, all we have to do is maintain them through the Series. Our challenge is always to keep the fields playable.”

Don and Dave split the volunteer crews, with Don managing Lamade Stadium and Dave staying down below at Volunteer Stadium. Typically, 25-30 volunteers rotate duties throughout the 10-day Little League Baseball World Series Tournament. The Fowlers usually arrive in Williamsport on the Tuesday before the start of the Series and don’t head home until after the World Championship Game has been decided.

It takes a crew of six to eight to coordinate the grounds duties for a World Series game. Mr. Fowler said that number is necessary to help pull tarps on and off the field when rain comes along with the other on-field tasks.

“We pulled tarps more last year than we have in the last 10 years,” Mr. Fowler said of the 2007 World Series that had two games canceled due to rain. “I would love to get through a Series without covering the fields.”

Despite the soaking rains and oppressive heat that can be typical of late August in Central Pennsylvania, Mr. Fowler said that the reason the World Series fields look and play as well as they do is technology.

Knowing that a retractable dome is not in Little League’s plans during his lifetime, he relies on the science of turf management to keep the fields playable.

“I am a person who is challenged by change,” Mr. Fowler said. “There are a lot of groundskeepers in the industry who do not accept change, but I appreciate all of the advancements.

“Without knowing what we know about these fields, so much would be trial and error,” he said. “Grounds management is a science and sports managers nationwide have had to change their perspective, because what is now considered an acceptable playing surface has changed.”

Significant advancements have been made in the evolution of varied species of grass and the quality of dirt. The combination of heartier grass and richer dirt has allowed for playing surfaces to endure more heat and moisture, as well as the wear and tear from constant use.

The surfaces at Lamade and Volunteer Stadiums are a mixture of four different varieties of Kentucky Bluegrass. This combination limits the damage caused by sun, rain, disease, and game action.

Mr. Fowler said that the varieties of turf have improved so much in recent years that the Lamade Stadium field he worked on in 1996 would not be his choice of turf by today’s standards for creating a quality playing surface.

With a national award and the respect of his fellow turf managers in hand, Mr. Fowler could pass over his rake to the next generation of Fowlers, but he said he’s not quite ready to make that decision.

“I will come to the World Series, and do what I do for as long as I am physically able, because I love doing it,” Mr. Fowler said. “I like working for Little League and I love getting the field ready for the kids.

“I’ve tried to describe what its like to see the faces of the players as they run on the field and all I can say is, ‘you’ve got to see them.’ It’s like they’re in awe of the field, because they’ve worked all of their young lives to get here.”

Mr. Fowler and the crew of volunteers wouldn’t do what they do if they didn’t take pride in the field. “We are here for the kids,” he said.