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42 SportsTurf | July 2013 www.sportsturfonline.com
STMA in action
THE STMA WEBSITE, www.STMA.org, has nu-merous educational resources available tomembers and non-members.
PublicAccess to various educational resources is
available to anyone under the Knowledge Cen-ter tab on the STMA website. Even if you arenot an STMA member, you can access valuableinformation that will assist in the safety andplayability of your athletic surfaces. Topicsavailable in the Knowledge Center include:
• Conference Education – access the educa-tional materials presented at our Annual Con-ference and Exhibition for the past 3 years.Materials include PowerPoint presentations,notes, handouts, and relevant articles.
• Turfgrasses – resources that help youmanage both cool and warm season turfgrassessuccessfully
• Construction/Renovation – provides tipson how to construct, reconstruct, renovate, andmaintain your sports fields and facilities
• Health & Safety – resources that promotesafe practices in the workplace ranging fromback injury prevention, to chemical safety, tomotor vehicle safety.
• Recordkeeping – everything you need tomaintain detailed records for your shop, grounds,equipment, and staff. This includes field mainte-nance resources, equipment records, budget re-sources, and employee records.
• Environmental Stewardship – resourcesthat address environmental stewardship forathletic facilities and athletic fields. This in-cludes Integrate Pest Management (IPM) andorganic management practices. Water conser-vation resources are also provided.
• Cultural Practices – access information onfertilization, irrigation, and drainage.
• Sports Field Dimensions – receive step bystep instructions on how to accurately measureand paint all of your athletic fields
• Multimedia – here you can access educa-tion sessions that were recorded at the 2010,2011, 2012, and 2013 annual conferences. Inaddition, STMA- and University- produced pod-casts and webinars cover various turfgrassmanagement topics including fertilization, heatstress, cold temperature injury, and more.
• Turfgrass Insects, Weeds, and Diseases –contains information for identifying and con-trolling turfgrass pests
• Synthetic Fields – resources include re-search articles and publications that cover ben-efits, drawbacks, and management of syntheticturf fields
• Guias en Espanol – a page dedicated toSpanish speaking sports turf managers, whichallows access to field management bulletinstranslated to Spanish.
• University Turf Sites & Turfgrass Facultyand University Publications - links to informa-tion, research, and people from higher educa-tion institutions across the country.
Members OnlyMuch of the information on the Members
Only side mirrors the public side. However,STMA members are allowed access to in-depthresearch and technical bulletins. Resources canbe accessed by logging in as an STMA memberand accessing any of the categories under theKnowledge Center.
• Construction/Renovation – in addition towhat is available to the public, information onconstructing field slope and proper rootzone,as well as selecting the correct turfgrass is avail-able.
• Cultural Practices – information on fertil-ization includes an analysis of plant responses
to nutrient applications and bulletins that ad-dress soil tests, nitrogen sources, and fertilizercalibration. Information on irrigation providessports turf managers further explanation aboutrootzones, water tables, and irrigation systems.Information on drainage includes drainage sys-tems and dealing with flooding events.
• Environmental Stewardship – resourcesinclude various ways to implement environ-mental initiatives at your facility including recy-cling, water efficiency, stormwatermanagement, transportation, lighting, andmore. Initiatives for athletic fields include turf-grass species selection, cultural practices, andintegrated pest management. Water conserva-tion resources are also available includingSTMA bulletins on “Field Management During aDrought” and “Effective Water Use”.
• Health and Safety – Athlete safety is a pri-ority for sports turf managers. Therefore, STMAprovides resources to help members under-stand how to maintain safe playing surfaces.Bulletins such as “Thatch Management” and“Strategies for Managing Heavily-Used Fields”
STMA.org provides many resources
Check out the following technical bulletins available to members only to assist withconstruction and renovation processes:
- 8 Steps to an Easy Field Facelift- Football Practice Techniques that Help Minimize Field Wear- Strategies for Managing Heavily-Used Fields- Thatch Management- Sprigging Bermudagrass- Understanding Soil Tests- Flooding on Sports Fields- Snow Removal- Football/Soccer Safety and Maintenance Checklist- Baseball/Softball Safety and Maintenance Checklist - The STMA Collection of ASTM Standards for Athletic Fields- A Guide to Synthetic and Natural Turfgrass for Sports Fields - Selection, Construc-
tion and Maintenance Considerations- Advisory Bulletin 1: Determining the Right Sports Field for Your Athletes- Advisory Bulletin 2: Suggested Equipment List- Advisory Bulletin 3: In-House; Architect-Bid-Contractor; Design-Build; Owner’s Rep-
resentative... What works best for building your sports field?- Advisory Bulletin 4: The Fundamentals of Project Management- Advisory Bulletin 5: ‘Lessons Learned’: Peer Advice on the Management of Synthetic
Sports Fields- Natural Grass Athletic Fields for High Schools- Natural Grass Athletic Fields for High Schools PowerPoint- Defending Your “Turf” - Play Offense
Construction & Renovation Bulletins
STMA Affiliated Chapters Contact InformationSports Turf Managers Association of Arizona: www.azstma.org
Colorado Sports Turf Managers Association:www.cstma.org
Florida #1 Chapter (South): 305-235-5101 (Bruce Bates) or Tom [email protected]
Florida #2 Chapter (North): 850-580-4026,John Mascaro, [email protected]
Florida #3 Chapter (Central): 407-518-2347,Scott Grace, [email protected]
Gateway Chapter Sports Turf Managers Association: www.gatewaystma.org.
Georgia Sports Turf Managers Association:www.gstma.org.
Greater L.A. Basin Chapter of the SportsTurf Managers Association:www.stmalabasin.com.
Illinois Chapter STMA: www.ILSTMA.org.
Intermountain Chapter of the Sports TurfManagers Association:http://imstma.blogspot.com/
Indiana - FORMING - Contact Clayton Dame,[email protected] or Brian Bornino,[email protected] or Contact Joey Stevenson,[email protected]
Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association:www.iowaturfgrass.org.
Kentucky Sports Turf Managers Association:www.kystma.org.
Keystone Athletic Field Managers Org.(KAFMO/STMA): www.kafmo.org.
Michigan Sports Turf Managers Association(MiSTMA): www.mistma.org.
Minnesota Park and Sports Turf ManagersAssociation: www.mpstma.org
MO-KAN Sports Turf Managers Association:www.mokanstma.com.
Nebraska Sports Turf Managers Association:[email protected]
New England STMA (NESTMA):www.nestma.org.
Sports Field Managers Association of New Jersey: www.sfmanj.org.
Sports Turf Managers of New York:www.stmony.org.
North Carolina Chapter of STMA:www.ncsportsturf.org.
Northern California STMA:www.norcalstma.org.
Ohio Sports Turf Managers Association(OSTMA): www.ostma.org.
Oklahoma Chapter STMA: 405-744-5729;Contact: Dr. Justin Moss [email protected]
Oregon STMA Chapter: www.oregonsportsturfmanagers.org [email protected]
Ozarks STMA: www.ozarksstma.org.
Pacific Northwest Sports Turf ManagersAssociation: www.pnwstma.org.
Southern California Chapter: www.socalstma.com.
South Carolina Chapter of STMA: www.sc-stma.org.
Tennessee Valley Sports Turf Managers As-sociation (TVSTMA): www.tvstma.com.
Texas Sports Turf Managers Association:www.txstma.org
Virginia Sports Turf Managers Association:www.vstma.org.
Wisconsin Sports Turf Managers Association: www.wstma.org.
Chapter Sponsors
www.stma.org SportsTurf 43
are available in addition to field safety and mainte-nance checklists.
• Multimedia – members can access the MoundBuilding and Home Plate Maintenance and InfieldMaintenance Instructional videos.
• Professional Development - If you are lookingfor a job, resources that help you write a cover let-ter and resume and ace an interview are available.If already employed, bulletins on communication,leadership, and workplace issues are also available.
• Synthetic Fields – In addition to what is avail-able on the public side, members can access addi-tional advisory bulletins that giverecommendations for equipment, project manage-ment, and more.
• Turfgrasses – more in-depth information isavailable for sports turf managers to determinewhich type of turfgrass will best meet the needs ofathletes and perform the best on the field.
• STMA Educational Bulletins – STMA memberscan access bulletins that cover a wide range of turf-grass management topics including seasonal fieldmaintenance calendars for cool season, warm sea-son, and transition zone regions, field manage-ment, environmental stewardship, safety, syntheticfields, professional development, construction andrenovation, and business practices. n
THE FOUNDATION FOR SAFER ATHLETICFIELDS FOR EVERYONE (SAFE), STMA's Charity,has expanded its Board to 12 people. In 2012,SAFE had nine board members. "The expandedboard adds new depth of experience to betterhelp us pursue our key goals this year," saidChairman of the Board of Trustees CathyBradley. "Our focus in 2013 is to increase com-munity outreach efforts as well as to continueto pursue our fundraising goals."
Past fundraising efforts include the eventsheld in conjunction with the STMA conference,such as the auctions, raffles, casino night and agolf tournament. For the first time, SAFE is de-veloping an interactive community educationalcomponent. "Providing maintenance staff,coaches, volunteers and parent groups witheducation on how to care for their field is avery important component of ensuring playersafety," said Bradley. The educational outreachis planned for the San Antonio area around theSTMA national conference in January.
In addition to Chairman Bradley, who isalso the Executive Director of the Baseball To-morrow Fund, SAFE Officers include:
Vice-Chair Allen Johnson, CSFM, Fields Man-ager, Green Bay Packers
Secretary Steve Wightman, Retired SportsTurf Manager
Treasurer Doug Schattinger, President, Pio-neer Manufacturing
TrusteesJon Butler, Executive Director, Pop Warner
Little ScholarsKen Curry, Vice President, Covermaster, Inc.David B. Houseknecht, Sr. VP of Administra-
tion/CFO, Little League InternationalDebra Kneeshaw, Lead Park Technician, City
of Portland Parks & RecreationGil Landry, Jr., Ph.D., Professor/Turfgrass
Management, University of Georgia-GriffinCampus
Chad Price, CSFM, CFB, President, CarolinaGreen Corp.
Paula Sliefert, Sr. Marketing Manager, TheToro Company
Jay Warnick, CSFM, Athletic Fields Manager,University of Portland
The SAFE Executive Director is also the CEOof STMA, Kim Heck. n
SAFE Foundation expands Board
44 SportsTurf | July 2013 www.sportsturfonline.com
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Aer-Flo 27 www.aerflo.com
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Barenbrug USA 48 www.barusa.com
Beam Clay 44 www.beamclay.com
CoverSports USA 19 www.coversports.com
Diversified Sports Specialties 44 www.DSSworks.com
Ewing Irrigation 5 www.ewing1.com
First Products 25 www.1stproducts.com
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MAC Athletics 44 www.MACathletix.com
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Redexim North America, Inc. 47 www.redexim.com
Sod Solutions 33 www.sodsolutions.com
Southern Athletic Fields 25 www.safdirt.com
SportsTurf Managers Association 41 www.stma.org
STEC Equipment 15 www.stecequipment.com
Turf-Tec 44 www.turf-tec.com
TurfTime Equipment , LLC 44 www.TurfTimeEq.com
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46 SportsTurf | July 2013 www.sportsturfonline.com
BY DR. GRADY MILLERProfessor, North Carolina
State University
Questions?Send them to Grady Miller at
North Carolina State University,Box 7620, Raleigh, NC 27695-
7620, or [email protected]
Or, send your question to
David Minner at Iowa State University, 106 Horti-
culture Hall, Ames, IA 50011 or email
QI am a parent of a student-athleteand volunteer with our local highschool in preparing their baseballfield. I have an agriculture back-ground but it does not include turf-grass except for what I have pickedup the past few years while workingon the field. The school has decidedthat it is finally time for a major ren-ovation to address the field’s signifi-cant drainage problem and the poorinfield grass. Do you do this type ofwork and can you give us an estimateof what it would cost?
North Carolina
It is not unusual to get thesetypes of questions from schoolsseveral times a year. The questionsalmost always have the same ele-ments—concerned volunteer, func-tional problems with a field, andfinancial constraints. The problemswith the field have often been tol-erated for years and a tipping pointhas finally been reached. Thatpoint is often reached after the“volunteer” has heavily lobbied theschool administration for a changeand they are given a go-ahead toinvestigate. Then I get an e-mail orphone call, hoping the Universitycan jump-start the process.
From the broad “need help”perspective, these are generallylong-term matters that are not eas-ily addressed with a simple re-sponse. My experience from anextension specialist perspective hasbeen that political, emotional, andfinancial influences combine tomake these matters complex. Oftenthe school is not fully prepared forhow much it may cost to properlyrenovate their field, so the projectmay never pass the fact-findingstage. Then all the dynamics of thepeople involve with planning andapproving, plus back-door politicsthat can doom a project.
My initial role is to bring agroup together that can get theirarms around the entire project, not
just one facet. I usually provide alist of Certified Field Builders thatwork in their area. In North Car-olina we have some great ones, sothis is an easy step for me. I amhappy to work with a school intheir discussions with a builder ifthey want an unbiased intermedi-ary to help them with terminologyor processes. With adequate fund-ing up front and good weatherduring renovation, these projectsoften end with happy customers.
I will assist as much as possibleto educate people to try and mini-mize the influence of politics,while staying out of the price as-pects. My contribution often in-cludes agronomic information foritems such as grassing specifica-tions, grow-in programs, mainte-nance calendars, etc., that can beuseful in pre-bid or post-construc-tion.
Recently, I visited a high schoolfootball field at the request of avolunteer. I met with a volunteer,several coaches, the athletic direc-tor, and a county operations repre-sentative. I could feel the tensionamong them in the pre-inspectionmeeting. After a field assessment, Ileft and promised I would get backwith them within a couple of days.The field was in horrible shape.
That afternoon I called a fieldbuilder and was bouncing a fewscenarios past him without men-tioning any school names. He im-mediately called out the name ofthe school field I had visited. Hesaid that he had been to that fieldfour or five times over the past sev-eral years and they could neverseem to get all the needed piecestogether to get the field re-built.His visits spanned several coachesand athletic administrators, butwith the same county representa-tive. Guess who was not on board!And to some extent that can be un-derstandable. The worse shape thefield is in, the more work it needs,
may translate to greater cost.Someone has to pay for the workand no group seems to have muchextra money in their budget.
The previous example is a goodreminder why enthusiastic volun-teers and eager coaches are not al-ways enough to push through asuccessful field renovation. Schoolboards and county officials alsohave to see the need for renovationbefore they are prepared to seethem done correctly. I emphasize“correctly” because nothing isworse than visiting a 1- to 3-yearold field that was constructed sopoorly that it needs to be bull-dozed and started new.
This was the case in one of thefields I visited last year. I was askedto come out to this new school andinspect their baseball field, espe-cially the clay base paths and warn-ing track. The coach told me thathis players picked up so much in-field clay on their cleats runningbases that they were 6 inches tallerby the time they reach 2nd base. Alocal individual had sold them aclay-based soil he said was suitablefor a ballfield skinned area. Theschool had not budgeted for theneeded clay replacement.
So the answer to the question isnot so simple. I do that type ofwork, but I do not do it the waythey probably imagined. I thinkmy extension colleagues across theUS would respond similarly. Wewant all parties to envision and ac-cept the entire process and what itmeans to the school and the partic-ipants that use the field. Then wewant to help them find the bestpeople to accomplish the renova-tion. I do not price out projects.But I have found field builders tobe generous people that are willingto work with varying budgets. Inthe end, we all just want betterfields. n
I’ve seen this movie beforeQ&A
