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/753045
28 SportsTurf | December 2016 www.sportsturfonline.com FACILITY & OPERATIONS Steve and Suz did an outstanding job of promoting STMA and nurturing its growth. For that, we should always be thankful. I am especially thankful for their help and guidance while I served on the STMA Board. In 2004, the Board decided it was time to have our own staff and management team, and this is when Kim Heck and her team were hired to be employees of STMA with a mandate was to guide us to the next level. I think all of you will agree that they have done just that. Kim and her staff of four have helped change the external perception and image of our profession. We are now on sound financial standing with a reserve fund equal to the annual operating expenses of $1.2 million. Under the leadership of David Rosenberg, the trade show at the annual Conference has gone far beyond what any of us ever dreamed of a few years ago. This has also had a huge positive influence on the association's revenue. We currently have approximately 2,600 members. The 2016 conference attendance was 1,600 with a sold-out trade show boasting 175 exhibitors. The Certified Sports Field Manager (CSFM) program, which was started during the Trustys' tenure, is steadily growing and becoming more accepted and respected. In fact, some job post- ings require a CSFM or that the applicants attain it within a given time-period. Currently, there are 205 CSFMs. We still have a long way to go, but we are on the right path with our profession. Early on you didn't see many women in our profession. But, women have had much involvement and influence in our industry. Although the percentage of female sports turf managers hovers at about 3%, as the number of members grow so do the number of females. I remember Amy Fouty, CSFM, as one of the first women in the industry who I met at our Mesa conference. I'm proud of the fact that STMA is one of the first primarily male-dominated organizations to elect a female president; Abby McNeal, CSFM, served in that role in 2009. She did an excellent job for STMA. Our association has outstanding women in every segment of our membership: students, sports turf managers, academics, and commercial companies. I know from speaking with these very talented colleagues that they want to be treated no differently because they are women in a male-dominated profession. They are professionals. Lynda Wightman, Hunter Industries, has been one of the most loyal sponsors and supporters of STMA for as long as I have known her. The first time I met Lynda was at my first Board meeting and she scared me to death. She still does! WHAT'S STILL THE SAME The more things have changed the more they have stayed the same. Sports turf managers are still not looked upon as profes- sionals in many places. I hate to admit it but in many cases, it is our own fault. If we want to be treated as professionals we must act like professionals and be proud of our profession. There are still some unscrupulous artificial turf salesmen who avoid sports turf managers and go directly to administrators, who know nothing about sports turf. Regretfully, there are also still a few salesmen promising that they have the cure for all turf problems in a jug. There are still too many "field builders" and designers who know little or nothing about athletic fields. Unfortunately, their work shows it and causes problems for everyone. Thankfully this small group does not represent those in our profession who do things the right way and have always been a pillar of support for our profession and organization. Sports turf managers take tremendous pride in their work and spend countless hours on the job, in many cases at the expense of their family. No one is more disappointed when a field does not play as well as expected than the sports turf manager. Most times it is the result of circumstances beyond their control. However, when we screw up, e.g., applying too much or the wrong chemical, or picking at the field too much like aerating a football field during the season and making the surface too soft, we must take the responsibility and be willing to share these mistakes with our colleagues so the same mistake won't be repeated by someone else. With the technology available and professionals eager to help there is no excuse for stupid mistakes. When I am around sports turf managers, the discussion often becomes a gripe session about their job, the coaches, or the administrators. We are truly a brotherhood of woe and that has not changed. The most rewarding thing that has not changed is the appreciation that players and fans have for our efforts. That is, and should be, what it is all about. As someone once said: "We are in the fun industry. We are truly the creators of dreams and memories." To show how things have not changed, I am going to close with something Dr. Coleman Ward told me more than 25 years ago. "All bermudagrass is still compared to 419." Bob Campbell, CSFM, is a Past President of the Sports Turf Managers Association. We still have a long way to go, but we are on the right path with our profession. Bob Campbell, CSFM