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/739563
20 SportsTurf | November 2016 www.sportsturfonline.com STMA CONFERENCE PREVIEW Sustainability on Campus: Green Sports Fields and Grounds Speaker: Brad Jakubowski - The Pennsylvania State University Across the United States, turf managers face new challenges in meeting safety standards as well as environmental expectations when maintaining natural grass surfaces. In addition to investigating sustainable practices, pest management, and soil and plant fertility, this seminar will also explore the American College and University President's Climate Commitment, LEED certifi cation, and carbon neutrality. Don't Let Water Restrictions Strike You Out Speakers: Bryan Hopkins, Ph.D. - Brigham Young University; Kelly Kopp, Ph.D. - Utah State University This session will focus on helping you develop a pro-active strategy for managing water shortages and potential restrictions in your community. Emphasis will be placed on performing a thorough analysis and description of existing water management practices, as well as implementing best management practices (BMPs) under restricted water supplies. Facts and Misconceptions Regarding Natural Grass and Synthetic Turf Speaker: Andrew McNitt, Ph.D. - The Pennsylvania State University There are lots of misunderstandings concerning natural grass and synthetic turf. This presentation will discuss the many misconceptions concerning synthetic turf and natural grass as well as many actual truths about both surfaces. Sports Field Management on a Shoestring Budget - Part 2 Speakers: Mike Goatley, Jr., Ph.D. - Virginia Tech; Michael Skelton - Culpeper County Parks and Recreation Sports fi eld managers typically face budget restrictions that result in choices and sacrifi ces in strategies to best manage their fi elds. This presentation will focus on proven strategies to stretch your budgeted dollars as far as possible by way of novel grassing alternatives and establishment/renovation techniques, strategies in building your soil, forming an equipment/tool inventory that best serves your needs, and modifying equipment to expand its usefulness. 5:15 - 6:15 pm STMA Networking Sessions Meet with your peers during this formalized networking session. Each category of membership meets separately to share issues and practical solutions. Thurs., Jan. 26 8 - 9:15 am So You Want to Be a Meteorologist? Weather and Your Venue Speaker: Kevin Kloesel, Ph.D. - University of Oklahoma Severe weather in the US is unique, and short-fused high impact weather hazards can strike any venue at any time. This presentation will provide an overview of common weather hazards at sports facilities, including lightning, winter weather, fl ooding rain, hail, and tornadoes, and the emergency planning needed to keep those that work on athletic fi elds safe. Stadium Field Renovation Speaker: Richard White, Ph.D. - Texas A&M University Stadium fi eld renovation can be a daunting task and requires team work to provide the desired product in a timely manner. Typical renovations usually involve some form of soil property alteration. This presentation will help sports fi eld managers understand basic soil physics principles, recognize important root zone specifi cations, and apply quality assurance standards for root zone materials to achieve a successful stadium fi eld renovation outcome. Pushing Bermuda's Boundaries: Managing Bermudagrass in the Transition Zone and Beyond Speakers: Marcus Dean, CSFM and Gregg Munshaw, Ph.D. - University of Kentucky The combination of global warming and new cultivars bred specifi cally for cold tolerance may mean it is time to begin considering bermudagrass in cooler climates. This session will discuss currently available cultivars and each of their strengths and weaknesses including turf quality, cold tolerance, and traffi c tolerance. In addition, successful bermudagrass management in the transition zone will be covered. Warm-Season Sports Turf Weed Management Speaker: Jay McCurdy, Ph.D. - Mississippi State University Sports turf managers in warm-season climates are faced with greater weed pressure than their cool-season colleagues. This presentation will focus on weed identifi cation of common and tough-to-control turfgrass weeds, proven means of control for common weeds, and herbicide programs that work year-round. Managing Stress and Avoiding Burnout Speaker: Lisa Goatley, M.S., L.P.C. - The Cascade Group Sports turf managers face a multitude of stressors in their professional lives. It is diffi cult to meet expectations of others; budgetary and labor limitations are problematic; long and uncertain hours are hard; and balancing family demands creates confl icting priorities. This presentation will address techniques to assist you in managing stress in order to avoid burnout. Don't let stress interfere with your ability to have a long and satisfying career. Sports Turf Management, Past, Present, Future Speaker: Bob Campbell, CSFM - Retired This presentation will provide a short history of our profession and STMA. Discussion topics will include tips on how to defi ne yourself as a professional, what it really means to be a sports turf manager and why we have always had a special place in peoples' hearts, and our responsibility to uphold the trust placed upon us as sports fi eld managers. 9:30 - 10:45 am You Can Grow Grass, Now Let's Grow Your Program Speaker: David Pinsonneault, CSFM, CPRP - Lexington DPW This session will highlight methods to help grow, maintain and sustain your maintenance program. Main topics discussed will be budget, personnel, equipment and how to sell the program and yourself. Lexington will be used as an example of how a maintenance program was expanded and supported to provide safe, playable fi elds for all. Factors that Affect Dislodgeable Foliar Residues and Environmental Fate of Pesticides Speaker: Travis Gannon, Ph.D. - NC State University Much concern exists around human pesticide exposure, and understanding factors that affect dislodgeable foliar residues is imperative to ensure human health is not adversely affected. Understanding the biological and chemical attributes of pesticides and their fate after application is also imperative to optimize pesticide effi cacy while minimizing off-target movement. This presentation will help attendees devise best management practices to minimize pesticide exposure and off-target movement. Who's Afraid of Calculations? Speaker: Samuel Doak - Virginia Tech This presentation provides a hands-on approach to basic fertilizer, topdressing and control agent calculations with some short cuts and money saving methods included. Bring a calculator, because you will have many practical practice problems. Renovating Cool-Season Sports Turf Dominated by Annual Bluegrass Speaker: Brad Park - Rutgers University Annual bluegrass's poor summer performance can lead to signifi cant declines in playing surface quality. An effective management strategy for maintaining turf cover on highly traffi cked sports fi elds involves perennial ryegrass overseeding. This presentation will explore the integration of perennial ryegrass overseeding and herbicide applications for the purposes of renovating cool season sports turf dominated by annual bluegrass. Management Standards for Athletic Field Management and Materials Specifi cation Speaker: Barry Stewart, Ph.D. - Mississippi State University There are many standards for the management of athletic fi elds ranging from ASTM Standards, to league rules, to textbooks. How can these be used to improve athletic fi elds while maintaining a "standard of care"? This seminar will examine existing standards, as well as standards for testing and specifying materials used in the construction and maintenance process.