Agriculture, environmental and animal care
Sports turf operative
Maintaining and renovating sports surfaces to make sure that public and private sports facilities are available for use.
Summary
This occupation is found in a wide range of different sports and venues, for example, athletics, bowls, cricket, croquet, football, hockey, equestrian, rugby league and union, and tennis. The role will primarily be carried out in an outdoors environment and sites will range from general grass root sports surfaces, sports clubs, schools, up to international stadiums and training facilities. Employing organisations may be of varying sizes depending on the geographical coverage of the organisation. However, sports turf operatives are required in all locations. Employers vary from small niche organisations to larger ones including Local Authorities and professional facilities.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to assist in the day-to-day preparation, maintenance, and upkeep of grounds and sports pitches to the highest possible standards. This includes both public and private sports facilities that are available for use at all levels from grass roots to professional sport and ensures facilities are available to support the Government policy of increasing physical activity. A sports turf operative will assist in various tasks including the preparing and renovation of sports surfaces, creating, marking out, and preparing sports turf playing surfaces for use, and will use machinery and equipment when required. They will also apply irrigation to sports turf surfaces and ensure maintenance of drainage. They ensure that safe working practices and health and safety legislation and regulations are complied with at all times.
These will all be done whilst ensuring carrying out safe working practices at all times and ensuring health and safety legislation and guidance is adhered to. Most of the work will be done in an outdoor environment, and duties will depend on the seasonality of the relevant sports throughout the year. There may be a requirement to work additional hours leading up to the start of a season or event.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with colleagues within their respective Grounds Maintenance department including a higher-level manager who they would report to. They would also liaise with other employees at their establishment of work such as maintenance staff, gardeners, or estate workers. They may also be required to have some customer-facing tasks dealing with members of the public, sports personnel, players, or coaching staff.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for reporting to their appropriate line manager to ensure they can carry out their own work to specific plans and within agreed deadlines. They are required to ensure all their actions are carried out in line with current health and safety legislation. They are also responsible for the maintenance, renovation, and overall appearance of one or more sports turf surfaces in accordance with the needs of the particular sport. Maintaining an appropriate quality playing surface that reflects the carrying capacity of that surface to ensure that a sustainable playing surface is provided.
Typical job titles include
- Groundskeeper | Groundsperson | Sports turf operative
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
K1:
Environmental, health, and safety legislation and regulations (e.g. Health and Safety at Work Act, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health, principles of risk assessment).
K2:
Governing body rules and regulations relevant to the particular sports turf surfaces.
K3:
Materials, tools, equipment and machinery used in maintenance and renovation activities.
K4:
Soils structure and texture (including amended rootzones and top dressings).
K5:
Sports turf reinforcement methods (including hybrid surfaces) and artificial turf materials.
K6:
Common names of turf-grasses (vegetative and seed). (Including, perennial ryegrass, smooth stalk meadow grass, annual meadow grass, fescue grass (fine), bent grass).
K7:
Common threats to turf health :- Weeds: Daisy, Dandelion, Yarrow, Mosses, Procumbent pearlwort, White clover, Greater (Broad leaved) plantain, Ribwort (Narrow leaved) plantain, Knotgrass, Creeping buttercup, Creeping cinquefoil, Slender speedwell Pests: Cockchafer grub, Earthworm, Leatherjacket grub, Nematode Diseases: Anthracnose, Leaf Spot, Fairy rings - (Type 1 or Type 2 or Type 3) – (acceptable example of a correct Genus name only required, e.g. Type 1: Marasmius spp; Type 2: Lycoperdon spp; Type 3: Hygrophorus spp), Microdochium (Fusarium) patch, Red thread, Take-all patch. Turf disorders: Fertiliser scorch, Hydraulic oil scorch, Black layer, Drought.
K8:
Processes for setting up sports turf surfaces in line with relevant governing body requirements (including line marking, the 3-4-5 squaring technique, and marking arcs and semi-circles).
K9:
The principles of plant science (including photosynthesis, respiration and transpiration in the growth and development of plants).
K10:
The principles of plant nutrition and impact on sustainability (including Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium, Sulphur, Iron).
K11:
The impact of climate, weather and ground conditions on the maintenance and use of sports turf surfaces.
K12:
Different methods to sustainably and safely dispose of waste to minimise and reduce environmental impacts.
K13:
Methods to assess the condition of sports turf surfaces (including thatch content, root depth, uniformity of cover, weed/pest/disease content).
K14:
The principles of sports turf irrigation and drainage systems (including layouts, components, and basic maintenance).
K15:
How to calibrate equipment to apply a range of materials associated with sports turf surfaces (e.g. grass seed, granular fertilisers, bulky top-dressing, turf and root zone).
K16:
Maintenance operations required to ensure the quality of sports turf surfaces.
K17:
Operations and techniques required for general day-to-day maintenance of sports turf surfaces.
K18:
Operations and techniques required to repair damaged sports turf surfaces .
K19:
The application of integrated prevention and control methods to reduce the threat to sports turf health (e.g. weeds, pests, diseases, disorders).
Technical Educational Products
- ST0210: Sports turf operative (Level 2) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0210
- Status:
Approved occupation
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5114 Groundsmen and greenkeepers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5114/00 Groundsmen and greenkeepers
S1:
Apply the correct rates and range of materials to sports turf surfaces (e.g. grass seed, granular fertilisers, bulky top-dressing, turf and root zone).
S2:
Set and mark out the sports turf surface in accordance with the relevant governing body rules (including line marking, the 3-4-5 squaring technique, and marking arcs and semi-circles).
S3:
Prepare machinery and equipment to ensure their safe and effective use when carrying out sport turf tasks.
S4:
Maintain levels of soil moisture using either irrigation or drainage systems.
S5:
Inspect the condition of sports turf, make observations and communicate findings (e.g. PQS, weeds, pests, diseases, thatch content).
S6:
Prepare the ground and established grass areas as part of sports turf renovation tasks (e.g. overseeding, turfing).
S7:
Carry out cylinder mowing of sports turf surface(s) in accordance with set requirements.
S8:
Carry out repair of sports turf surfaces using relevant equipment and machinery (e.g. divot repair, foot hole repair, animal damage).
S9:
Prepare and safely operate a tractor and it's attachments.
S10:
Select and use relevant communication styles (e.g. verbal, written, digital) to convey information to different audiences (e.g. clients, staff, suppliers).
S11:
Adopts a systematic approach to troubleshooting and solving day-to-day resource or equipment issues.
S12:
Identify a range of turf grasses (vegetative and seed). (Including, perennial ryegrass smooth stalk meadow grass, annual meadow grass, fescue grass (fine), bent grass).
S13:
Carry out maintenance of sports turf surface using relevant equipment and machinery (including scarification, and aeration).
S14:
Dispose of waste in a safe and sustainable manner.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0210: Sports turf operative (Level 2) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0210
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5114 Groundsmen and greenkeepers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5114/00 Groundsmen and greenkeepers
B1:
A strong work ethic including attention to detail and good time management.
B2:
Flexible and positive attitude to work.
B3:
Takes ownership of own work.
B4:
Committed to keeping up to date with industry best practice.
B5:
Possess a safety mindset for self, colleagues and others.
B6:
Team focused and works effectively with colleagues and others.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0210: Sports turf operative (Level 2) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0210
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5114 Groundsmen and greenkeepers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5114/00 Groundsmen and greenkeepers
