Mariusz Blach - stock.adobe.com
In the summer of 2019, Jameson O’Neill (Class III) and the Tin Caps won the Rockland Little League championship. O’Neill had been part of the league since the age of six, and his stint was quite a formative time in his life. But there was one component of the game that always stuck out to him: field conditions. “They weren’t really good when I was a kid. I always thought to myself, ‘Oh, I feel like I could do something to make them better,’” he said. After two years as Director of Field Management of the Rockland Little League, O’Neill has committed himself to bettering his hometown park for the next generation of young athletes. “Everyone deserves to have the nicest baseball field possible,” he said.
O’Neill’s journey started on his grandfather’s lawn. “He would let me ride on the mower with him when I was five years old. That’s when I was first introduced to the experience,” he said. Developing his landscaping skills early in life, O’Neill discovered a passion for the craft. “I would be there all the time when I was younger, so he definitely influenced me wanting to start a landscaping company,” he said.
At 10 years old, O’Neill started mowing the lawns of families on his street. His services have since become more organized and varied, now offering fall and spring cleanups. By attracting clients through a town Facebook group, O’Neill can usually expect to get one or two jobs every weekend during the fall and spring seasons. In the summer, however, his yard work is concentrated in one particular place. “The greatest joy I have in this job is definitely the baseball fields,” he said.
“The greatest joy I have in this job is definitely the baseball fields.”
O’Neill got a job as an Assistant Director at 12 years old, familiarizing himself with the duty of managing baseball fields. When the Director of Field Management retired, O’Neill took on the role, bringing a noticeable change to the park. “Not to say that people before me didn’t care, but they all had jobs. The nice thing about me is that in the summer, that is my job, and that’s what I’m focused on,” he said. With his manpower consisting of part-time coach volunteers, O’Neill usually undertakes the daily task of managing the five Rockland Little League baseball fields all on his own. Although games start at 6:00 p.m., O’Neill gets there around 1:00 p.m. to begin preparations for the night’s matches. He stresses that his job involves a lot more than just raking fields. “You’re not just prepping for the games every day. You have to do maintenance, put more dirt down, paint the foul lines, weed whack around the whole complex, mow around the complex[…]It’s not just making sure the fields are game-ready, it’s keeping them in good condition,” he said.
O’Neill hopes to develop his landscaping work even further. “Mowing lawns, I really enjoyed. It’s a great way to make some money. But I think I want more than that,” he said. On February 28, 2025, O’Neill got his certificate of training from Groundskeeping University after completing an online course over the span of seven months. The certification will be quite useful as he’s considering getting an internship at a golf course in the future. “They really learn how to take care of the grass there,” he said.
As a Nobles student, finding time for such an endeavor will be tricky since his summers are already occupied by a stable job. “I don’t want to give up this job that I have in the Little League. I’ve climbed the ladder there, so I’m not ready to say goodbye to that yet,” he said. Building strong relationships has always been integral to his work. “Rockland isn’t a very big town, so you see the same people. The coaches that I work with in the summer, I sell Christmas trees to in the winter at the Rockland Garden Center[…]When you’re selling Christmas trees, all you do is talk to people. That’s connections,” he said.
“I don’t want to give up this job that I have in the Little League. I’ve climbed the ladder there, so I’m not ready to say goodbye to that yet.”
As a sophomore in high school, O’Neill has yet to finalize his career path. However, there is one occupation that has piqued his interest. “The coolest thing would be being the head grounds crew member at Fenway Park or another MLB stadium,” he said. Although his summer pastime may differ from the typical Nobles student, O’Neill demonstrates true dedication in his pursuits. “When I have a job, I like to do it to the best of my ability, and I take pride in the work that I do,” he said. There is no doubt that the road to a landscaping career can have its ups and downs, but for Jameson O’Neill, the grass will turn out greener on the other side.