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/726375
www.stma.org October 2016 | SportsTurf 25 Field). From there, select "Become a Certified Builder" from the list of options, and you'll be able to access the Certification Handbook, which can be downloaded free under the heading, "Are You Interested in Becoming a Certified Field Builder?" Note: All informational materials on the website are free; how- ever, applying to take the test involves a fee. The exam may be taken at ASBA's Technical Meeting (in Dec.) and Winter Meeting (Feb.) as well as at the STMA Conference (Jan.) and the Synthetic Turf Council Meeting (Mar.). It can also be taken by appointment at ASBA headquarters in Maryland. In all cases, those who wish to take the exam need to have suc- cessfully completed the application showing eligibility, paid a required fee, and made arrangements to sit for the exam. A passing score on the exam allows an individual to use the appropriate designation (CFB, CFB-N or CFB-S) according to ASBA's policies. (For example, certification is held by the indi- vidual, not the company he or she works for; therefore, should the company wish to promote the certification, they may note they have a "Certified Field Builder on staff.") Certification is renewable by those who hold the credential. In order to recertify, individuals must complete paperwork showing they have been active in the industry, and that they have main- tained a specific level of experience in sports field construction. The certification program provides field builders with an out- standing opportunity to market their strong knowledge base and skill set in an increasingly competitive market, and there have been cases of facility owners requiring the certification credential as a prerequisite for bidding on certain projects. Think you can pass the test? There's only one way to find out. And for now, it's an easy way. Go online to the ASBA website and check out the rest of the sample questions. Read all the in- formation available, including policies, sample bid language, the application and more. The downloadable Certification Handbook also contains a great deal of information. And once you've decided you have the skills, it's time to put them to the test. Mary Helen Sprecher provided this article on behalf of the American Sports Builders Association (ASBA), a non-profit association helping designers, builders, owners, operators and users understand quality sports facility construction. The ASBA sponsors informative meetings and publishes newsletters, books and technical construction guidelines for athletic facilities including running tracks. Available at no charge is a listing of all publications offered by the Association, as well as the ASBA's Membership Directory. Info: 866-501-ASBA (2722) or www. sportsbuilders.org.