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June 2008
TURF RUNDOWN
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Do you pre-germinate your seed? Use a secret recipe of compost, sand, and peat moss? All sand? Wrap the seed in burlap and soak it in water? Add ice on hot days? Whatever method you use, Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is conducting a survey to gather information on sports turf managers seed pre-germination methods. The College has agreed to publish its findings in a future issue of SportsTurf magazine. Please help bring this information to our industry by participating in this quick survey.
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The 2-Minute Tip for Success
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Use the STMA PCI to justify additional resources, or as a tool for your media relations department, or to help you to communicate with all the constituent groups involved in your field: parents, coaches, players, administrators, etc.”
In 2004, the STMA board hired Ackerman PR out of Nashville, Tenn. to propose ways in which the association might increase its visibility and market the on-field expertise of the Sports Turf Manager. At that time, they designed the current STMA logo and developed new image materials for the association. Another idea Ackerman had was to create a metric that could be used on athletic fields, similar to the slope rating of a golf course, to assess that field’s playability. The STMA board put together a group of experts to begin evaluating such a program, and after receiving very positive feedback, the board created the STMA PCI Task Force. Ackerman is still involved with the project and STMA.
The STMA PCI Task Force, comprised of six well-respected Sports Turf Managers from around the country, went through numerous draft editions of the STMA PCI before coming up with an instrument that they believed would serve the membership well. This instrument was then sent out to a focus group spanning all STMA membership segments and from all geographic regions of the country. After making some adjustments, the PCI Task Group came up with the STMA PCI Worksheet Pilot that is currently in use.
The STMA PCI is currently in a worksheet form that allows the Sports Turf Manager to allot points for each question and then total the points, giving the STMA PCI for that field at that time. There are detailed instructions on the cover sheet of the STMA PCI to help guide you through the process.
STMA Members can find the STMA PCI on the Members Only side of the STMA website www.STMA.org. They can print it out there, fill it out, and provide feedback to PCI@STMA.org or fax their results to 800.366.0391 or 785.843.2977. Members may also request a copy of the STMA PCI by sending an email to PCI@STMA.org. STMA asks that each time the STMA PCI is used by a member, the results and feedback be provided to STMA so that the association may refine the tool to the greatest degree possible.
If you have questions about the STMA PCI, please contact STMA at 800.323.3875 or send an email to PCI@STMA.org.
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News You Can Use
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Six chapters are supporting the STMA Regional Education Seminar and Field Day on June 27 in Philadelphia. Members from the Chesapeake Chapter of STMA, Keystone Athletic Field Managers Organization, Sports Field Managers of New Jersey, Sports Turf Managers of New York, Virginia Sports Turf Managers Association and The New England Sports Turf Managers Association will come together at the Philadelphia Eagles Stadium/Lincoln Financial Field and the Phillies Citizens Bank Park. Coaches, athletic directors, school business officials and directors of parks and recreation are also encouraged to attend. Presenters Dr. John Sorochan, University of Tennessee; Jeffrey Fowler, Penn State University Cooperative Extension; Mike Boekholder, head groundskeeper for the Phillies; and Tony Leonard, director of grounds for the Eagles will provide technical and hands-on training. Participants will also see an equipment demonstration by Hustler and can compete in an agronomic chapter challenge. To review the complete brochure and to register, click here.
STMA Adds New Awards Category; Application Updated, Now Available Online
The STMA Field of the Year Awards program has added a new category to replace the now retired Complex of the Year category. In January 2009, at its 20th Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Jose, Calif., STMA will award its first Sporting Grounds of the Year at the professional, college and university, and schools and parks levels. The Awards Committee believes that the pursuit of excellence on one field took precedence over the generalized facility management aspects of a complex – a philosophy endorsed by the STMA Board of Directors. STMA will no longer accept Complex of the Year applications, but previous winners will rightfully maintain their status as elite among their peers as STMA Complex of the Year.
In establishing the STMA Sporting Grounds of the Year, the Awards Committee has targeted athletic fields which host “unique” sports outside of STMA’s “Big Four” of football, baseball, softball, and soccer. Fields which host sports such as field hockey, lacrosse, rugby, cricket, tennis, and horse racing are eligible. STMA has become aware of a major speedway which will be entering its infield in the new category! For a field to apply under the new category, it must host the “unique” sport for a majority of the play on a natural grass playing surface.
The new STMA Sporting Grounds of the Year applicants must follow the same guidelines and rules as STMA Field of the Year applicants, and winners will receive the same recognition.
The STMA Field of the Year Application has been revised and now is in a more user friendly format. Also, the Awards Committee has expanded the number of allowable photographs to 25 maximum. This is to encourage more creative and unique entries for 2008, including field photos in the off-season.
Contact Patrick Allen at pallen@stma.org if you have questions about the new category or the STMA Field of the Year program.
Display your Professionalism – with an STMA Membership Certificate Frame
STMA has a professional frame, complete with the STMA logo, for your membership certificate. Buy one and demonstrate to your peers, staff and employer that you are a member of a professional association – the STMA. STMA also offers 8x10 photo frames to display your memorable moments at field days or at the conference. Each frames is $10, or buy both for $15. Shipping is $3. Additional items available through STMA Headquarters include: window clings; insulated travel mugs; logoed golf balls; and ball caps. To order, click here for the Order Form.
New Member Benefit: Compensation Information
STMA will be conducting a full compensation and benefits study of its membership in late summer. The results will be available to all members. Typical uses of the information are to validate the salary ranges of members’ varied employment situations and to offer fact-based information for use to further develop your individual compensation and benefits package. The information also will provide regional differences, which is helpful for those seeking to make employment changes. The survey will be confidential and anonymous, and conducted electronically.
Bylaws Changes on the Horizon
STMA will be sending out the Bylaws revisions to the membership in early fall. The Bylaws Committee is continuing its work to align the bylaws with the changes approved by the STMA Board of Directors. Changes include: 1-yr. terms for Officers, the addition of two at-large Director positions, and the combination of the Secretary and Treasurer positions into one, which then defines the track to the presidency. Look for these changes and how the Bylaws have been reworded to accommodate these changes on-line later this summer.
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