SportsTurf

December 2015

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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E very year I am impressed by the quality of the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) Conference and Exhibition. This year is no different as I eagerly await the upcoming 2016 conference in San Diego. The amount of time spent planning really shows when you are there taking it all in. The educational sessions, vendor options and oppor- tunity to network with your peers is a great chance to move your career for- ward. I always encourage anyone who has not been to the STMA national conference to try at some point in their careers to get to one. That may be easier said than done, though. For those that cannot make it, there is another option: STMA Chapter field days also offer education, vendor participation and the opportunity to network with peers in your local area. I am the president of the Sports Field Managers Association of New Jersey (SFMANJ), the New Jersey Chapter of STMA. We hold spring and fall field days every year. It is an opportunity for our organization to provide education, pesticide and fertilizer credits, equip- ment demonstrations, food and a fun day away from work. There are several things that have made our events successful (includ- ing but not limited to): a site with indoor and outdoor availability, a qual- ity educational program; food; and a proportionate amount of attendees to vendors. It also doesn't hurt that the event is free to attend. How is that pos- sible? Let's take a look at the formula that has been developed in the Garden State. PICKING THE RIGHT SITE When you think of a field day it brings to mind great weather, beautiful fields and an entire day of outdoor activi- ties. Sometimes Mother Nature has other plans. The weather in New Jersey and throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic can be somewhat unpre- dictable in the spring and fall. I know that the folks attending our events are outdoor people but it is hard to concen- trate when you have been in the rain for hours at a time. In addition to having a host sports complex with a variety of sports fields, we have also made it a priority to find a site with an indoor facility for educa- tional sessions and vendor set up if the weather turns ugly. This thinking has turned out to be a good strategy for a couple of reasons. It gives us the abil- ity to have our event rain or shine. The other benefit is subtler; having the abil- ity to hold some of our talks indoors makes it a little more like a classroom talk. This has been important during our talks that receive pesticide credits. The indoor setup keeps everyone in the same location and gives the entire group the opportunity to hear what the speaker is saying. It can be difficult to hear when you are listening to a speaker outside due to wind or other outdoor distractions. It also can be a good way to start the day when the morning temperatures are cold and the turf is wet. Having the right site is the foundation of a great event and should not be overlooked. EDUCATION "Sports Field Managers Association of New Jersey is committed to enhanc- ing the professionalism of athletic field managers by improving the safety, play- ability and appearance of athletic fields at all levels through seminars, field days, publications and networking with those in the sports turf industry." That is the mission statement of our chapter. It is something that we take very seriously. Providing education to our members is really what we are all about. Our Board of Directors goes through a process every year to put together topics that are timely and developed in part by a site visit to the host venue. An example of a timely topic was New Jersey's Commercial Fertilizer Applicator's Certification Program. The state enacted a law in 2012 that requires anyone applying fertilizer as part of their job to be certified and accrue continuing education credits to maintain your certi- fication. As with any new program there was a lot of anxiety and confusion when it was enacted. Our Association took the lead by offering education explaining the law and awards fertilizer recertifica- tion credits at our events. Educational programs also include NJ School IPM Category pesticide credits that are difficult to acquire. Having the ability to provide hard-to- find fertilizer and pesticide credits is a great help in attracting people from all parts of the turf industry to attend our events. In addition to the accredited talks, we also encourage our vendors to provide hands-on education through a variety of field equipment demonstra- tions. This provides a good balance to our classroom-type education. Everyone enjoys seeing new equipment and envisions how they might make it work on their sites. Recently we have seen a variety of new aerating equip- ment, fraze mowers, infield groomers, pesticide application equipment as well as the newest mowers on the market. It is a great way for our vendor members to contribute to the educational por- tion of the event while promoting their products. 18 SportsTurf | December 2015 www.sportsturfonline.com ANATOMY OF AN STMA CHAPTER FIELD DAY FACILITY & OPERATIONS ■ BY RICH WATSON

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