USC Upstate’s Bruce Suddeth has recently earned a top distinction for his years of work on Upstate athletic fields and for his contributions to the South Carolina Sports Field Management Association (SCSFMA).
This month, Suddeth, director of building and landscape services, joined five other members inducted into the SCSFMA Hall of Fame. The induction recognizes members who made defined service contributions to the association and to the state’s sports field industry.
Suddeth, who calls the association’s hall of fame recognition “an honor,” is part of an inaugural group of inductees who are original board members of the chapter.
Through Suddeth’s leadership and service on campus, Upstate’s athletic fields have earned multiple National Field of the Year awards in baseball, softball and soccer, said Steven Hardy, vice chancellor for finance and administration. Suddeth has also played a key role in the development of the SCSFMA chapter, which includes colleges, high schools, parks and recreation, professional, and minor league ballparks across the state.
“I am proud to recognize Bruce Suddeth for his extraordinary leadership and service,” Hardy said. “His induction into the SCSFMA Hall of Fame reflects decades of tireless commitment to the institution and his profession.
“Through his work advancing state and regional chapters, earning the respect of national peers, and elevating our landscapes, facilities, and athletic fields to award-winning excellence, Bruce has left a momentous and lasting impact. He exemplifies the very best of USC Upstate.”
Hardy also praised Suddeth for the strong relationships he’s built Upstate community leaders, and for his support of initiatives related to planting, landscaping, Tree Campus USA, Arbor Day, and other environmental programs.
Suddeth joined the Upstate campus in 2002. His time at the university overlaps the start of the SCSFMA chapter, where he served as past chapter president and, for the last 17 years, as secretary.
Before Upstate, Suddeth worked at Milliken, ending his tenure there in sports field products. Today, he manages nine staff members whose work entails the university’s main campus. And he directs a five-member crew that works the sports fields along with some common areas on the north side of campus.
It’s a “365” process, according to the director, who noted the required yearly maintenance on the natural grass fields at Upstate during both the playing and growing seasons.
“The priority is safety on the fields, so athletes don’t get hurt,” he said. “You want them to be as smooth and play as they should.”
The SCFMA holds roughly four meetings a year that aid in that work, including education on managing athletic fields and turf grasses. The meetings include presentations from experts and are also an opportunity for members to learn from and mentor one another.
Suddeth believes the relationships cultivated are most meaningful.
“Grass grows; you mow it. You take care of it. You share how you do that with people,” he said, “but in the end, it’s having that camaraderie with everybody and building those relationships that are probably more valuable than growing grass.”
The relationships with peers in SCSFMA, Upstate Athletics, and with Spartan students and families also play a part in reminding him why it all matters.
“From getting students to come to school here to making sure that athletes have a safe playing surface, we want to make sure that we do our part,” he said. “You do a good job. It’s not flashy, it’s not flair. We just do our job.”