Throughout this golf season managing school assignments with work responsibilities has been a real challenge. being able to manage both sides while maintaining a work life balance has been its own lesson for the year and one that superintendents and assistants must constantly work at to be both efficient and mentally healthy. I have found that the team you surround yourself with is one of the most important factors in achieving this balance. To have team members you can rely on and trust to perform daily tasks to the highest standard and share in your passion for the work and generated product delivered to each guest. This has allowed myself along with other employees in any position to step away from work when it is needed without the constant stress and anxiety that things will fall apart. I have been lucky to have a strong team as well as the trust from my superiors who acknowledge the importance of this balance in order to be as productive as possible. When I have had assignments to work on for school, I have had access to any resources around our property as well as the time and space to perform any processes needed. I have shown that I am a competent employee and I have full support from all of my superiors in the decisions I make which in turn has allowed me to grow both professionally and as an individual.
Although the timing of some of the school assignments has been more difficult than I imagined, I feel it is a work load that shows extreme relevance toward growing in the industry and eventually becoming a superintendent. My biggest concern came with the last assignment of the season “winter prep”. Although I am woking in an area that unfortunately has a shorter golf season and winter prep starts at an earlier date than most which allowed me to be apart of all the tasks required for this subject (silver lining). I can’t help but think if I was working at a course that stayed open until mid to late October that I would have very limited information and documentation toward the winter preparations that takes place. I understand that the due dates are set for various important reasons but I feel that if this last assignment was due the first or second week of November, the overall content from all students could be much more in depth. This assignment can be smaller depending on what your course does to prepare for the winter months but the overall importance of understanding all processes that can and in most cases should be performed would benefit not only the students but the turf industry as a whole. With most areas across Canada dealing with similar conditions throughout the winter, the increased knowledge and capability would allow for students to enter a wider range of courses, already knowing the processes and becoming a more vital part to any team.
I have been frustrated at times throughout the summer with the school assignments, more due to stress from a variety of things both personal and work related but I strongly feel that the feedback and communication with our teachers has helped me to learn and continue to improve my methods. I have enjoyed learning from the team at Olds College and feel that any people who choose to learn from this team will only make the industry better. I look forward to continuing my education in my third and fourth years as well as the vacation I will be taking when it is complete!
Matt's Reflective Journal 