Mission Statement:

Pacific Sports Turf is committed to the development and maintenance of premier turf facilities in the Pacific Northwest. Our industry of turf management is always evolving and education is critical to helping our customers achieve the best turf product. We feel that it is important to give back to the turf industry by helping teach and instruct young ambitious individuals who are our future employees and customers. The PST Internship Program is designed to give students a wide variety of experiences within the turf contractor environment; in an effort to enhance their educational progress.

Different Jobs that we can offer:

1. Turf Equipment Operation- which includes but is not limited to-
• Aerate
• Seeding
• DT Aerate
• Fertilizing
• Top Dress
• Greens Aerate/ Core Harvest
• Preseeding (Proficient Dependent)

Turf equipment operation and “tractor work” on golf courses and athletic fields is a major part of the everyday operations at PST. This is the basic skill needed for all employees at any level of turf facility. At the beginning of our internship the student must first prove to be proficient with equipment operation before they are able to move to more advanced jobs.

After a training and supervision period the intern is expected to develop proficiency in these areas:

• Proper operation of tractors. Example- Proper shifting and use of clutch.
• Proper setup of attachments. Example- Able to attach and level seeder properly.
• Proper chaining and strapping down of equipment on trucks and trailers. Example- Oppose pull on equipment.
• Safe operation of equipment without causing major damage. Example- Rarely hitting sprinkler heads and other obstructions. No unnecessary damage to our machinery.
• Ability to see what needs to be done and how to help your coworkers to accomplish a common goal. Example- Load equipment without being told. There is always something helpful for you to do.
• Understand company protocol for job related paperwork. Example- Intern should help fill out job sheets and time sheets.
• Ability to problem solve. Every site is different and the intern needs to be able to adjust to changing field conditions. A part of being a team player is asking questions when needed, but also being able to complete a task on your own by using your own natural problem solving skills.

Approximate time spent on machine operation- This is dependent on the duration of the interns expected stay at PST. We would like approximately 125 hrs of machine operation to understand the basics of our company. This is a building block for our other jobs and it is necessary for proper training. This also depends on the ambition of the intern and desire to learn other aspects of our company.

2. Drainage Installation
• Drainage Theory/Layout
• Order Parts
• Trenching
• Pipe installation
• Backfilling
• Turf Surface Restoration

Drainage installation is an important way for natural turf facilities to stay competitive with the new developments of artificial turf. Our company is committed to providing quality natural turf playing surfaces and we improve playability for our customers with the addition of drainage. Our drainage jobs are a great opportunity for an intern to see and be a part of project management. Large jobs that take weeks to complete will teach planning and team effort. These skills are useful for any turf industry job.

Expectations on drainage jobs-

• Ability to complete tasks- it is important that once shown a specific task that the intern can repeat this task without too much further instruction. Reliability is important to being a part of our team.
• Equipment operation- an intern should be able to use their previous training on our equipment and be able to help accomplish drainage project with similar equipment.
• Time management- Drainage projects require planning by every employee. Unlike turf related jobs the drainage jobs are multiple week long jobs. Being efficient with your time is important to the overall job completion. It is each person’s responsibility to think and plan ahead, knowing what the next step is in the process.
• Approximate time spent on Drainage- Ideally we would like an intern to be a part of a complete job. Generally this will be about 2 weeks. Once again this is also dependent on the intern’s ambition and desire to learn this specific task. More time could be spent if the intern shows an interest in this area.
3. Irrigation Management
• Irrigation Repairs
• Irrigation Installation
• Site Water Management
• Soil Testing
• Central Controllers
• Field Marking

Quality turf fields can trace their success back to proper irrigation and turf management. PST makes this an emphasis to all of our customers. Turf needs three things, nutrients, oxygen, and water. We can control each of these so we get an optimal product. However, clean water is a commodity and the proper use of it is necessary for both environmental and financial reasons. This is why we feel that irrigation management is necessary for an intern to learn regardless of the turf industry job they choose.

Expectations with Irrigation Management:

• This is an opportunity for our interns to learn about irrigation systems and spend time with an expert on water management. We expect the intern to be helpful with daily tasks such as irrigation repairs and field monitoring. This job is low stress compared to other parts of our company and is a chance for an intern to be inquisitive. Irrigation management is about theory and understanding plant needs. We expect this time to be spent asking questions about turf and soils as wells as learning the basics of irrigation pipe installation and sprinkler heads.

Approximate time spent with Irrigation Management team- intermittently throughout the summer but approximately 2 weeks. This is also dependent on the intern’s ambition and desire to learn this specific task. More time could be spent if the intern shows an interest in this area. This should give the student enough time to learn about irrigation systems and ask plenty of questions about grass and soils as they relate to our irrigation management practices.

4. Shop/Mechanical Operations
• Shop protocol
• Washing equipment
• Equipment preparations
• Loading equipment
• Mechanic job shadow

The success of our field employees being able to complete jobs begins with the people behind the scenes and in our shop. We pride ourselves in maintaining a smooth operation which is efficient and ready to provide our customers with timely service. The mechanics and shop help are critical to accomplishing this goal. One of the tasks of the intern will be to learn all the preparations that happen in our shop before equipment goes out to a job. This includes everything from washing the equipment and ordering supplies to making repairs to the equipment. The intern will get a chance to help out with the daily operations at our shop.

Approximate time to be spent in the shop- To begin the internship the student will work around the shop doing daily tasks that include cleaning and loading equipment and making sure the shop area is organized. This will help the student learn the most basic part of our operation and learn where everything is located and get acquainted with our equipment. This will be a 2-3 week time period. Later in the internship after the student has been able to operate our machines and work in the field they will get the chance to job shadow the mechanical team and help out with their duties. They will learn more about our equipment preparation and repair theory. The intern will see the necessity for quality repair work in order to keep our machines running through our rigorous work schedule. This will be 1 week maximum.

5. Upper Management One Day Job Shadow
• Meet with customers
• Job Proposals
• Billing

Internships are designed to give students the opportunity to learn more about an industry that they want to work in. We feel that in order to educate our intern about our company they should be able to see and be a part of every aspect of our company. If the intern shows great ambition and desire to be successful during his internship, then they will get the chance to spend time with one of our upper management employees (Operations Manager and/or Sales). Students going through our program should set goals of being a leader in the turf industry. This opportunity is designed to give the intern a look into their future.

6. Turf Industry Job Shadow
• Meet other Industry Professionals
• Choose your own interest

Interns who excel in our program and show initiative will be rewarded. Depending on the students interest we have many connections within the turf industry and can set up a job shadow for a day at another turf facility.

Expectations of our Interns

• Be on time and ready to work at your scheduled time. It is not acceptable to miss a day of scheduled work.
• Be presentable. You are a representative of our company and your appearance matters. You are expected to adhere to the company standards for hygiene in the employee handbook.
• Be alert and ready to work. We have early start times- make sure you get enough sleep the night before. You home life is our concern if it affects how you are able to perform at work.
• Be accountable. Every employee is responsible for his/her own actions. Honesty is the best policy.
• Ask lots of questions. This internship is your chance to learn about the turf industry. Never be complacent with what you know. Ask about turf related theories at appropriate times.
• Go above and beyond expectations. We are looking for an eager employee who is able to see beyond the task in front of them and do what might not be expected.
• Develop a good working relationship with your coworkers and superiors. We will be a future resource and reference for you. This is an opportunity to build life long partners in the turf industry.
• Work as a team. We have a small company that works well together. We need our intern to fit into our team and be willing to help each other to accomplish the same goal.
• Pull your own weight. Just because you are and intern doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be a big contributing factor to our company goals. Your success as our employee daily determines your success with us in the future.
• This is a serious job. Once again, we can be a great resource for you in the future if you work hard right now.
• Have FUN!