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/27931
Knoxville, TN—details THE 2011 REGIONAL CONFERENCE, June 15-16 in Knoxville, TN hosted by STMA with the support of several chapters, including the Tennessee Valley (host), Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia Chapters, is a must attend educational event for anyone who deals with athletic turf regularly. While focusing on Sports Turf Managers, STMA encourages attendance by mem- bers, crew, coaches, parks and recreation professionals, athletic di- rectors, school business officials, and others, and will be providing education for all levels of sports turf experience. The more than 10 hours of education is highlighted by nation- Regional Conference in ally recognized sports turf authorities. Dr.’s John Sorochan, Jim Brosnan, Tom Samples, Grady Miller and Mike Goatley will be lending their expertise to presentations and/or panel discussions on natural turfgrass, pest control, turf covers, field painting, and managing bermudagrass. There will also be behind the scenes tours of the University of Tennessee’s football, baseball, softball and soccer facilities, as well as a tour of the University’s new Cen- ter for Athletic Field Safety. There will be an exhibition held at the Center for Athletic Field Safety as well. Other education will be pro- vided by local professional sports turf managers, builders, and ar- chitects with significant sports field experience. Registration will include all education, entrance to the exhibi- tion, most meals, and as a special treat, attendees will get a night at the ballpark, watching the Tennessee Smokies take on the Chat- tanooga Lookouts in exciting minor league baseball action. Regis- tration costs for the event are $95 for a member of STMA National or one of the participating chapters and $125 for a non-member. Online registration will be available for STMA National mem- bers, and STMA will also be negotiating reduced rates at Knoxville area hotels, so keep checking www.STMA.org and your email inbox for the most up to date information regarding the event. Put June 15-16 on your schedule and start talking to your em- ployer about making sure that you are able to attend this incredi- ble educational opportunity. If you have any questions, please contact STMA at 800.323.3875 or STMAInfo@STMA.org. Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at this event? Please contact Patrick Allen, STMA Manager of Sales and Marketing at 800.323.3875 or pallen@stma.org. Ask a CSFM Michael DiDonato, CSFM, grounds coordinator, Windham High School, Gorham, ME Benefits of certification verified Editor’s note: This is another installments on how becoming a Certi- fied Sports Field Manager (CSFM) can benefit turf managers profession- ally as well as improve their facilities How did you prepare for the CSFM Exam? DiDonato: I took the University of Georgia course exam a cou- ple of years ago and reviewed that book to prepare myself for the exam. I found it to be a very useful tool in preparing myself for the test. I also talked to a few people who have taken care of sand based athletic fields to learn more about what goes into preparing a field from the construction of the field to main- taining the field throughout the growing season. I also took the practice tests on the STMA website and tried to base some of my studying off the questions asked in the practice exams. How did you approach your employer to support your certification, both financially and in the time needed to prepare for the exam? DiDonato: I was fortunate that my employer is very supportive continuing education courses. The time needed to prepare for the exam was during the winter months. I had a lot more time to study when the fields were not in use and snow covered. Why did you decide to pursue certification? DiDonato: I decided to pursue certification as a new challenge for myself. Not only was the certification exam a new challenge, but it was also a way to possibly further my career in the future. >> SCOTT MACVICAR of the University of Washington demonstrated how to paint a logo at last year’s STMA Regional Conference in Seattle. www.stma.org How has certification helped your career? DiDonato: Right now, certification has not yet helped my ca- reer, but I am hoping it will in the future when I have the oppor- tunity to move onto a higher level of sports. I will say that having this certification has shown to others and me that I am willing to do what it takes to keep on educating myself in this field to in turn provide the safest, most playable and esthetically pleasing athletic fields I can. ■ SportsTurf 51