Tony Koski Named Â??sportsturf’ Manager of the Year

Tony Koski, Colorado State University Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture assistant professor, has been chosen ‘Sportsturf’s’ 2002 Manager of the Year.

The Sports Turf Managers Association is a national association with a goal to promote professionalism and education for sports turf managers at all levels, park and recreational to professional.

At Colorado State University, Koski is known for his research on a grass that needs very little water or fertilizer, doesn’t get ugly with heavy traffic, and stays green and healthy despite disease and drought. Colorado residents devote anywhere from 40 to 60 percent of their domestic water use to lawns and gardens. Add this to Colorado’s skyrocketing population growth, and the importance of Koski’s research skyrockets.

Koski has been a member of the Sports Turf Managers Association since 1990 and is currently a board member. He serves as Education Committee chairman and organizes the STMA Conference program. He also works with other STMA education issues, including developing a speaker’s bureau.

"Tony realizes the importance of sports turf management and the abilities of sports turf managers, and he promotes that nationwide. He’s dedicated to the importance of athletic fields and those who take care of them," said Dave Rulli, STMA board member and stadium manager at Jeffco Stadium, Lakewood, Colo.