Blake BernsteinPhoto: Toro
Toro has announced the winner of its annual Toro Super Bowl Sports Turfgrass Training Program for the upcoming Super Bowl LII.
Blake Bernstein, a sports turf management major at Mount San Antonio College, will have the opportunity to help the grounds crew prepare the field at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for the 52nd Super Bowl.
Toro has worked with the National Football League (NFL) since 1967 to provide the equipment and expertise needed to prepare football fields for the biggest game of the year and has been offering this opportunity to students in the field of turfgrass management since 2003.
The program is designed to recognize one student for his/her exemplary leadership in turfgrass management and further his/her knowledge base by aiding the grounds crew on game day. Bernstein will work with NFL field director Ed Mangan, George Toma and the rest of the grounds crew handling turfgrass maintenance, logo painting, field preparation for media day, halftime preparation and field clean-up.
“Sports have been a passion for me my entire life,” Bernstein said. “I consider myself incredibly lucky to work in this environment on a daily basis. Being able to help prepare the field for the biggest game in football is just an amazing opportunity, and I can’t wait to be on site helping out, learning and taking it all in.”
Applicants for the program had to be enrolled in at least the second year of a two-year turfgrass program or the junior year of a four-year turfgrass program.
Bernstein was able to stand out from a large pool of candidates thanks to his multiple positions on grounds crews for facilities including Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, home to the Los Angeles Rams and USC Trojans; and the UCLA baseball facilities. He is also the director of procurement, cultivation and design at the Bishop Gooden Center in Pasadena, California.
Bernstein has a degree in business from Arizona State University and is set to graduate from Mount San Antonio College in 2018.
“We’re pleased to be able to offer this opportunity to a student who has dedicated their education and future career to turfgrass management,” said Boyd Montgomery, regional business manager at Toro. “Blake continues an excellent tradition of having driven, passionate students working alongside some of the best in the industry to refine their craft on a global stage during the biggest game in football.”
