Dan Bergstrom, Director of Grounds for the Houston Dynamo and Dash, is an expert in turf grass science. He’s now at the center of the globe’s biggest sporting event.
HOUSTON — With less than three weeks until the World Cup kicks off, preparations are intensifying to get Houston ready for the seven matches the city will host during the tournament – and Dan Bergstrom is at the center of it all.
Many involved with Houston’s successful bid to be one of the host cities this year have consistently said that Bergstrom played a key role in bringing the World Cup to H-Town.
KHOU 11’s Orko Manna spent one recent morning with Bergstrom out at Shell Energy Stadium, where Bergstrom serves as the Director of Grounds for the Houston Dynamo and the Houston Dash.
A crew of about five people usually prepares the pitch for hours on end ahead of upcoming matches. From painting lines to repairing worn patches of turf, Bergstrom oversees every detail. The work is meticulous and constant.
“We work an early day and a long day. We start here at 6 a.m,” Bergstrom said. “There’s multiple decisions every day we make to deliver the best possible result for our teams.”
Bergstrom has worked with the Houston Dynamo and Dash for a decade and has more than 30 years of experience maintaining professional and collegiate playing fields.
A native of Ames, Iowa, Bergstrom studied horticulture at Iowa State University, where his passion for sports turf management began to take root.
“I found it in college. The turf grass science and sports field management, once you find it and it hooks you, it grabs you, and you’re all in,” Bergstrom said.
His reputation as the “grass guy” eventually planted him at the center of Houston’s bid for the World Cup.
He is widely credited with helping convince FIFA that Houston could successfully install natural grass inside what will be known as “Houston Stadium” (Reliant Stadium, formerly NRG Stadium) during the tournament.
“I’ve been proud to be part of it, and of course, we’re in it right now as we speak,” Bergstrom said.
Crews are currently preparing the stadium for the installation. The grass is being grown in Denver and will be transported to Houston this week.
As Houston’s official pitch consultant for the World Cup, Bergstrom said several years of planning are now becoming a reality – and the hard work is finally paying off.
“It’s exciting right now. I’m enjoying it. We’re in the moment right now. We’re trying to deliver on this plan, but so far, our planning has proven to be on point. Through this construction phase, things have gone very well, maybe even exceeded our expectations,” Bergstrom said. “The plan has gone exactly as it should. Very excited, very proud of where we are today.”
Bergstrom has become a pivotal part of the world’s largest sporting event. But he admitted that he did not necessarily foresee this future for himself, given his humble beginnings, having been born and raised in the Midwest.
“It’s just been an amazing journey that I never could have predicted out of Ames, Iowa, where I’m proud to be from,” Bergstrom said.
Despite his growing profile and major accomplishments, Bergstrom said he remains focused on the work itself and the teams who are directly impacted by that work – whether they are national squads playing in the World Cup or local athletes suiting up for Dynamo and Dash games.
“It starts with us. It’s not about us. We’re doing the best we can for our teams,” Bergstrom said.
Bergstrom said he plans to continue monitoring the pitches at both Shell Energy Stadium and Houston Stadium every single day through the end of the World Cup.
The first World Cup match Houston will host will be on Sunday, June 14, when Germany takes on Curaçao in Group E.
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