Insights from an Internship

September 2, 2025

By Ava Veith

Bill Rose Foundation Scholar

We're thrilled to feature Ava Veith, a proud recipient of the Bill Rose Foundation Scholarship and a rising star in sports field research and management.

Internship Insights & Academic Aspirations

Just this past summer, Ava served as a Playing Surface Data Technician intern with the KC Current grounds crew, a professional Women’s Soccer team in the NWSL. As a former Division I soccer player at Virginia Tech, this chance to apply her research background in a real-world, high-performance environment was a dream come true.

Ava is currently pursuing her Master’s at Virginia Tech under Dr. David McCall, with plans to defend her thesis in December 2025. Afterward, she’ll embark on a Ph.D. at Penn State, working with Dr. Chase Straw. Her research zeroes in on athletic field variability and athlete–surface interactions, aimed at helping field managers make data-driven decisions for safer, more consistent playing surfaces.

Real-World Impact

During her internship, Ava treated each day like a mini research project. From quantifying the effects of rainfall and athlete traffic to evaluating various aeration techniques (solid tine, deep tine, cross tine at different speeds), verticutting, rolling, and other field practices—Ava's hands-on work deepened her understanding of how nuanced management influences field performance.

These invaluable experiences not only enriched her graduate studies but also fueled her passion for a future career in sports surface research.

Read More: https://sportsfieldmanagementonline.com/2025/09/02/insights-from-an-internship/18401/