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.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/141613
STMA in action STMA.org provides many resources THE STMA WEBSITE, www.STMA.org, has numerous educational resources available to members and non-members. Public Access to various educational resources is available to anyone under the Knowledge Center tab on the STMA website. Even if you are not an STMA member, you can access valuable information that will assist in the safety and playability of your athletic surfaces. Topics available in the Knowledge Center include: • Conference Education – access the educational materials presented at our Annual Conference and Exhibition for the past 3 years. Materials include PowerPoint presentations, notes, handouts, and relevant articles. • Turfgrasses – resources that help you manage both cool and warm season turfgrasses successfully • Construction/Renovation – provides tips on how to construct, reconstruct, renovate, and maintain your sports fields and facilities • Health & Safety – resources that promote safe practices in the workplace ranging from back injury prevention, to chemical safety, to motor vehicle safety. • Recordkeeping – everything you need to maintain detailed records for your shop, grounds, equipment, and staff. This includes field maintenance resources, equipment records, budget resources, and employee records. • Environmental Stewardship – resources that address environmental stewardship for athletic facilities and athletic fields. This includes Integrate Pest Management (IPM) and organic management practices. Water conservation resources are also provided. • Cultural Practices – access information on fertilization, irrigation, and drainage. • Sports Field Dimensions – receive step by step instructions on how to accurately measure and paint all of your athletic fields • Multimedia – here you can access education sessions that were recorded at the 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 annual conferences. In addition, STMA- and University- produced podcasts and webinars cover various turfgrass management topics including fertilization, heat stress, cold temperature injury, and more. • Turfgrass Insects, Weeds, and Diseases – contains information for identifying and controlling turfgrass pests • Synthetic Fields – resources include research articles and publications that cover benefits, drawbacks, and management of synthetic turf fields 42 SportsTurf | July 2013 • Guias en Espanol – a page dedicated to Spanish speaking sports turf managers, which allows access to field management bulletins translated to Spanish. • University Turf Sites & Turfgrass Faculty and University Publications - links to information, research, and people from higher education institutions across the country. Members Only Much of the information on the Members Only side mirrors the public side. However, STMA members are allowed access to in-depth research and technical bulletins. Resources can be accessed by logging in as an STMA member and accessing any of the categories under the Knowledge Center. • Construction/Renovation – in addition to what is available to the public, information on constructing field slope and proper rootzone, as well as selecting the correct turfgrass is available. • Cultural Practices – information on fertilization includes an analysis of plant responses to nutrient applications and bulletins that address soil tests, nitrogen sources, and fertilizer calibration. Information on irrigation provides sports turf managers further explanation about rootzones, water tables, and irrigation systems. Information on drainage includes drainage systems and dealing with flooding events. • Environmental Stewardship – resources include various ways to implement environmental initiatives at your facility including recycling, water efficiency, stormwater management, transportation, lighting, and more. Initiatives for athletic fields include turfgrass species selection, cultural practices, and integrated pest management. Water conservation resources are also available including STMA bulletins on "Field Management During a Drought" and "Effective Water Use". • Health and Safety – Athlete safety is a priority for sports turf managers. Therefore, STMA provides resources to help members understand how to maintain safe playing surfaces. Bulletins such as "Thatch Management" and "Strategies for Managing Heavily-Used Fields" Construction & Renovation Bulletins Check out the following technical bulletins available to members only to assist with construction 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, Construction 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 Representative... 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 www.sportsturfonline.com