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/560546
36 SportsTurf | September 2015 www.sportsturfonline.com T alk about an overachiever. Troy Rudolph of Sunland Sports, Phoenix, AZ is cur- rently the only individual in the industry (as well as in the American Sports Builders Association) to hold three (yes, three) professional certifications in sports construction. Presently, Rudolph not only holds the Certified Field Builder (CFB) cre- dential, but the Certified Track Builder (CTB) and Certified Tennis Court Builder (CTCB) credentials as well. The road to certification, he notes, was not a straight shot, nor was it easy. "I got my tennis certification in 1999," he notes, "but I let it expire. I took the CTB exam 2 years ago, then went and retook the tennis exam." He originally sat for the Certified Builder-Synthetic (CFB-S exam), but did not pass. Later, he decided to sit for the CFB exam (which incorporates knowledge of both natural and syn- thetic fields.) His persistence paid off and he passed it the second time. Now, he notes, he is focused on keeping all three certifications up to date and active. (Certification must be renewed every 3 years in order to remain valid.) Builder certification is voluntary for ASBA members, and is appli- cable to individuals (rather than to companies). In order to be eligible for certification, an individual must complete an application that shows a specific amount of experience in the industry. He or she must also success- fully complete a comprehensive exam in the area of field, running track or tennis court construction. Rudolph, a 31-year member of the industry and an active member of ASBA, is (not surprisingly) a strong advocate of certification for build- ers, noting that as awareness of the credential grows, and as more owners write it into their bidding documents, it becomes a powerful marketing and sales tool. "Certification is valuable now," he states. "And as more owners require it, it will become more widespread." Already, he is seeing the growth of the reputation of the certification pro- gram. "When I first had the tennis certifi- cation, I was the only contractor in the state of Arizona with it." That, he noted, did not last long. "Having one person certified tends to fuel other contractors to take the test. I have people on my staff that want it now, and I push owners to require it. It's really useful in the marketplace." Rudolph originally worked with Sunland Asphalt. Sunland Sports, a separate company, is his own entity, and allows him to demonstrate his area of expertise. The company builds tennis courts, running tracks and synthetic fields. In addition to his work at Sunland, Rudolph is an active volunteer in ASBA, and is currently the president of the Track Division, where he is responsible for all the Association's activities with regard to this type of facility. With three certifications under his belt, of course, the question becomes: is he ready to look outside the industry and sit for another test? "No," he laughs. "I think I'm good for now." Note: those interested in informa- tion about the ASBA's Certified Builder program can find information at the website, www.sportsbuilders.org, under the tab on the blue menu bar, reading "Certification." ■ ST TROY RUDOLPH: ASBA's first triple-certified builder FACILITY & OPERATIONS ■ BY MARY HELEN SPRECHER With CFB, CTB and CTCB designations, the association's Track Division president is encouraging the industry to seek credentials Troy Rudolph "Having one person certified tends to fuel other contrac- tors to take the test. I have people on my staff that want it now, and I push owners to require it. It's really useful in the marketplace." — Troy Rudolph