soccer and are in university towns, the
culture of each facility is unique.
Corvallis, for example, may be home
to only 50,000 people, but it is also
home to no fewer than six brew houses.
Microbrews are important to the
community, which is why the pub at
Corvallis Sports Park has 18 beers on
tap, many of them local microbrews.
At the Springfield facility, however,
customers tend to drink more domestic
beer. This is but one small example of
the cultural difference.
Oddly enough, another has to do with
scoring. At Kick City, women of co-ed
games are awarded two goals for each
one they score. Blake has tried to level the
playing field, so to speak, but the players
at Kick City have been unwilling to change.
Of course, there are other minor
differences, such as the popularity of
specific programs and field rentals.
FALL201
3
Continuing Education
Blake believes that operators who have
been in business for more than 10 years
still have a lot to learn, which is one of
the reasons someone from his facilities
regularly attends USIndoor's Facility
Operators Conference, where, he says,
experienced operators learn best practices
and new ideas from each other.
One lesson that has stuck with him is how
to develop relationships with employees.
"Many operators at USIndoor's conference
have discussed personnel issues, such as
how to train this generation of workers.
Many of us struggle with motivating our
employees. We've learned it's necessary to
over-communicate."
Blake schedules monthly staff lunches
in order to get to know people–who they
are, what motivates them–so that he can
train them and retain them. "They need
to 'buy into' the business," Blake says.
After all, when he gives someone the
keys to his facility, he wants to be able
to trust the person.
Building trust includes communicating
what you do and why you do it, as well
as your expectations; employers need
to make sure employees know policies
and procedures, which can be as simple
as providing checklists. These details,
essential to owners, are essential to the
relationship.
Blake grew up on a farm, working seven
days a week every week. Of course, he
doesn't expect the same dedication from
his employees, but because he meets
regularly with them, he can be realistic
with his expectations. When employers
know what to expect from employees, and
employees know their jobs, managers and
staff are happy, and customers benefit.
"There are so many pieces to the business.
Even after 10 years, there's something
to learn."
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