Get to know the Apprentices: Melissa Sibrian

Meet Melissa Sibrian, an apprentice here at the Maryland SoccerPlex Sports Turf Institute!  Melissa has been a member of our team for over two years and began her apprenticeship with the Institute in the last year. Melissa grew up an athlete, playing with the Plex’s clubs, becoming a coach here, and eventually getting a full-time…

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Get to know the Apprentices: Kevin Alexander

Meet Kevin Alexander, an Apprentice here at Maryland SoccerPlex Sports Turf Institute!   Kevin joined the Maryland SoccerPlex team after graduating from Rowan University in New Jersey with a degree in Environmental Science. Previously a soccer player, Kevin’s interest was piqued by the combination of sport, science, and environmentalism offered here at the Sports Turf Institute. …

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Get to know the Apprentices: Gerson Cedilllos

Meet Gerson Cedillos, an Apprentice here at the Maryland SoccerPlex Sports Turf Institute!  Gerson began his work here over two years ago, starting as a member of the grounds crew now working and studying as an apprentice. Growing up as an athlete, and even playing at the Plex through childhood, Gerson was surrounded by the…

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Get to know the Apprentices: Nicolette Cooper

Meet Nicolette Cooper, an Apprentice here at the Maryland SoccerPlex Sports Turf Institute!  Nicolette joined the Maryland SoccerPlex team after earning a degree in Athletic Training from the University of New Hampshire Durham. Her previous work in athletics and love for women’s sports drew her to this field, combining her passion for science with the…

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Turf Talk: Turf Terms – Aerification!

What is aerifying? Aeration is an important cultivation practice for any healthy field or lawn! Compaction from foot traffic prevents root penetration and can contribute to poor drainage. Even the best fields will need aeration to keep the field at high quality. When our team is aerating, they are essentially poking holes into the turf…

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Turf Talk: MLS NEXT Flex

MLS Next Flex is basically here! This massive tournament is a major step in youth club’s journeys to the MLS NEXT’s Cup Playoffs and Showcase at the end of the season. MLS Next Flex is a 5-day tournament that invites 64 of the best MLS NEXT clubs from the U15-U19 age groups battling for position…

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Turf Talk: Going Green at the Plex

We try to be as green as possible here at the Plex, and we don’t just mean the color of our fields! We believe in creating a maintenance program that is eco-friendly while still being effective at providing the highest quality fields. One way we have gone green is by using organic fertilizer. Our plant…

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Turf Talk: Walle and Eva

Walle and Eva aren’t just Disney characters – they are our official Turf Tank robot painters!   These lovely little robots save our crew a TON of time, and money by doing the painting for us! Instead of us explaining it, we will leave it to the professionals: check out this case study, done by…

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Turf Talk: Why can’t I sit in the middle of the field?!

We have officially begun our 2023 Spring playing season! If you were at the Plex the past weekend you might have noticed we have signs that permit spectating in certain areas only – believe it or not, there is a science behind that request!   The middle third of the playing field will see almost…

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Turf Talk: Here comes the spring season!

Believe it or not, the spring season begins March 24 aka NEXT WEEK! Our grounds crew is hard at work preparing for the upcoming season!   WAKE UP! One of the first things that need to be done is to get the fields to ‘wake up’ from their winter slumber. Like we said last turf…

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