Goal! From Brentsville fields to the World Cup spotlight

The FIFA World Cup brings nations together through a shared love of soccer. While athletes give their all on the field, dedicated grounds crews ensure those fields are safe and ready for play. Several alumni of the Brentsville Turf Toro Grounds Academy had the opportunity to showcase the skills they developed in the program on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

“The World Cup is more than just a sporting event. It is something that brings many communities together from different parts of the world,” shared Julie Kessler, a Brentsville Turf Toro Grounds Academy alumna working out of the Kansas City Current Training Facility, which is host to the Netherlands team. “Being part of maintaining the fields where one of these teams called home was an incredible experience because I know the work behind the scenes directly impacts the players’ experience and performance in the tournament. It’s the kind of opportunity that pushes you to perform at your highest level every single day.

The opportunity reflects the industry-standard training students receive at Brentsville District High School and the professional recognition its graduates earn when invited to work on elite sports fields. Zach Sedmak is one such alumnus.

“Every experience I’ve had has built toward this opportunity,” said Sedmak. “Working with the Kansas City Current has taught me what it takes to maintain professional level playing surfaces under demanding schedules and high expectations. It has given me firsthand experience preparing fields for professional athletes and understanding how much attention to detail goes into creating a world-class playing environment.”

"I met Zach back at the Sports Field Management Association conference in 2024 when he was a senior in the Brentsville Turf Program," said Travis Hogan, head groundskeeper for the Kansas City Chiefs. “I think it is such a special program for us to really be able to find students that are truly passionate about this industry. So bringing him here has been real fun for the World Cup.”

Another alumnus, Logan Smallwood, worked at Boston Stadium, which hosted seven World Cup matches, including a quarterfinal between France and Morocco.

“I grew up playing soccer and for me to be here at the World Cup preparing the field for the players is a dream come true,” said Smallwood. “Working different sorts of major events like an MLS All Star game, the Solheim Cup and working grounds crew at Clemson University was able to help prepare and give me a good basis that I was able to build on that helped me have a great knowledge on what would need to be done at the World Cup.”

“We are incredibly proud of Julie, Zach, and Logan and all they have accomplished and look forward to seeing the continued impact they make within the turfgrass industry and beyond,” shared Dr. Drew Miller, Brentsville Turf Toro Grounds Academy director.