Brady Forman Moves from Goalkeeper to Groundskeeper
Erica Mohr
Brady Forman has a long history of “keeping” things in order at Manchester: while a student he was a goalkeeper and he is now groundskeeper. Forman’s official title is grounds supervisor, and he’s held this position since graduating from Manchester with a degree in business management in 2018. But while he was a student, he helped keep both the grounds tidy and the home net empty.
Forman spoke with a smile about the family mentality he remembers from the soccer team. “I don’t think there was ever a time where somebody was left out,” he said. “It gave me an instant 40 friends, an instant 40 faces to recognize.
“As the seasons go on and years build after years,” he continued, “you never lose that friendship bond and your closest friends become family. I don’t think there’s anybody on the team who wouldn’t do anything for each other.”
Forman keeps in close contact with the soccer team by attending most of the home games, and by helping train the goalies. Last year’s goalie, Justin Meredith, recalls Forman’s sessions. “He was always really big on using every minute he could to train us,” he said. “One day it was pouring down rain and we were off doing our training separate from the rest of the team. The rest of the team got done because of the rain and Coach Corey Bruggeman forgot to tell Brady we were done, so we kept training in the rain for another 15 minutes before we realized everyone else was leaving.”
Forman initially got into working with the grounds crew his first year as a student; the then soccer coach Dave Good was also the head groundskeeper and asked Forman if he would be interested in working for him. “My desire and passion is to not sit at a desk,” Forman said. “I love to be able to see how Mother Nature works and watch things grow and be hands-on.”
Around the time Forman was looking to graduate, Good had begun to look at retirement, which led Forman to look at the head groundskeeper job. “Things fell into line, so it worked out where he was phasing into retirement, I was able to slip into his role,” Forman said.
An average week for Forman is dictated by the events on campus and the weather. To begin the week he checks on everything that should be done, and then he looks at the forecast and the event schedule to see when certain jobs will have to be done. “It’s a lot of checking on things and going through a list,” Forman said. “Realistically we don’t have time to do it all and that’s the hardest thing to accept with this job. Mother Nature doesn’t take a break if we’re behind.”
Long term, Forman wants to run his own landscaping company, but is worried about high start-up costs and how rare landscaping companies can be. “I think gaining the experience now here is a very good builder upon the future,” he said. “How many people are going to look at a 24-year-old kid and say, ‘Yeah I want to come work for you.’ There’s just that stigma of being young, and in a sense ignorant to things. I have got to get experience and prove to people why I am a viable person to work with so we can build that company.”
Forman credits MU with helping him to clear that path. “Being here with Dave, this amazing opportunity to do this work and put it all on my resume, that’s then helping me to become maybe a futuristic business owner.”