SportsTurf

June 2014

SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.

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For more on the latest news, please visit www.sportsturf.com and www.stma.org. www.stma.org June 2014 | SportsTurf 45 T he Foundation for Safer Athletic Fields for Everyone (The SAFE Foundation) has hired a summer intern. Kenzie Jay, who will be a senior in the fall in Strategic Communications at the University of Kansas, is focused on develop- ing content for SAFE's website, SafeFields. org. She is interviewing previous scholarship and grant recipients to find out where they are today, promoting and soliciting for SAFE's annual fundraising events, and expanding its social media presence. In addition, she will be working on SAFE's new educational videos that target volunteers, parents, coaches and youth athletes on how to maintain a field. SAFE's videos will be avail- able at SafeFields.org in late summer SAFE hires intern and expands educational outreach STMA in Action News from the Sports Turf Managers Association T wo of STMA's important awards programs have updated applications online. Go to STMA.org and click on the Professionalism tab, then on each awards program. Field of the Year recognizes those members who have managed their fields using ingenu- ity, solid maintenance and cultural programs, and environmental stewardship, while maxi- mizing budget dollars and resources. Awards are given to fields for baseball, softball, soccer, football and sporting grounds at the schools/ parks level, collegiate level and professional level. Winners are recognized with a plaque presented at the STMA Awards Banquet, sig- nature clothing, and in an issue of SportsTurf magazine. Three complimentary hotel nights at the STMA conference are also provided to winners. The Innovative Award program has been adjusted to provide more value to STMA's commercial members. For the 2015 awards program, which will be judged this year, commercial members have a 2-year time period in which to introduce a new product, service, or piece of equipment and apply for an Innovative Award. Previously, it was one year; it had to be introduced sometime fol- lowing the current exhibition and shown at the next exhibition. The new, 2-year time period will allow those submitting the opportunity to apply two times for an innovative award with that same innova- tion. This will provide more time for the innovation to garner visibility, testimonials and real-world use. President David Pinsonneault appointed a new task group, the Innovative Awards Task Group, to review previous procedures because no Innovative Awards were given this year. In addition to the expanded time period for introduction, the Task Group recommends that a separate committee of non-commercial members judge the program, rather than the Awards Committee, which is heavily involved in judging the Field of the Year and Minor League Baseball Sports Turf Manager of the Year. More media promotion of the winning innovation is also being planned in addition to its current recognition. STMA presents its winner(s) with an award during the trade show, signage at the trade show, recognition during the annual awards banquet, and autho- rizes the use of a special logo for the winning innovation. The Task Group encourages commer- cial companies to submit for this program. It is very important to the judging process to include why the company believes their prod- uct, service or equipment is innovative, and explain how it is being used in the market- place to substantially enhance the effectiveness of the sports turf manager and/or make the playing surface safer and more playable. The Task group gives a broad definition to the meaning of innovation: products, services or equipment that are cutting edge and have never been seen. The Task Group is chaired by Rene Asprion, and its members include Steve Bush, CSFM, Ben Polimer, Chad Price, CSFM, CFB and Matt Tobin. The applications for both the Field of the Year and the Innovative programs are due October 15. Awards Programs: Field of the Year & Innovative applications are ready

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