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
FACILITY & OPERATIONS 10 SportsTurf | December 2016 www.sportsturfonline.com SAFE LOOKS FORWARD TO THE FUTURE WITH OPTIMISM SportsTurf: What do you see as the main role or purpose of SAFE? Warnick: I see multiple roles. However, first and foremost is our validation and support of the message that sports fields cared for by trained and professional mangers is the key to safe surfaces. This begins with an ongoing commitment to scholarship and the need for strong students and turfgrass education programs. It is great to see the students who were some of the first SAFE Scholarship recipients taking the leadership roles in the STMA and the industry. SportsTurf: How can Sports Turf Managers help to spread the SAFE mission and message? Warnick: We have relied largely on the financial support of STMA members over the years, and we hope that continues by selling out our bowling and golf tournaments. Also, we encourage your feedback and ideas and participation in this cause. Please log onto www.safefields. org and leave your ideas in the "contact" area. We are poised to make great gains in our mission and we know that it will only happen with many more dedicated and talented hands on the team. SportsTurf: What do you think the future holds for SAFE? Warnick: There is much work to be done. Never before has the safety of athletes using our fields been more in the public eye. Governmental studies have been commissioned, prominent sports leagues have convened committees to review athlete protection and care, and field-testing and certification practices are already in place for some of our membership. We must take a prominent role to ensure that as information begins to swirl, it is communicated properly, and accurately represents the reality of sports turf management. SportsTurf: What makes foundations like SAFE successful? Warnick: It begins with an identification of the vision and purpose and then a communication of that purpose outwardly. We are fortunate that the name of our foundation is a constant reminder of what we are all about—providing safe playing surfaces for athletes of all skill level everywhere. The most important factor though, is every day, in every corner of the nation, we have an industry of people with the highest level of professionalism quietly going about their business showing what it looks like to care about the work they do. Editor's note: We recently caught up with Jay Warnick, CSFM, Chairman of the SAFE (The Foundation for Safer Athletic Fields) Board to talk about the state of the foundation and what we can look forward to in the future. SAFE champions safe, sustainable sports and recreation fields for all athletes. As part of its mission, SAFE funds scholarships, research and outreach programs. SportsTurf: Can you give us a synopsis on some of the SAFE highlights from the past year? Warnick: As usual, the STMA Annual Conference was great for SAFE and record-breaking fundraising was the result. In typical fashion, Conference attendees and commercial sponsors stepped up and supported all of the foundation fund raising activities with a sold-out SAFE Bowling Night, a successful golf tournament, and an outpouring of gifted items for raffle. Post-conference, the SAFE Board has been active in analyzing ways to improve current processes while looking to build a message for the future. Focus groups have been formed within the board to take some very specific looks and discussions on the issues facing the industry and foundation in the future. A Vision Task Group was formed to examine and refine scholarships and grants, including the formation of the Leo Goetz grant, and how such gifts can best benefit the STMA members. In addition we are looking at how to best carry the message of the importance of field safety to communities. An Innovative Fundraising Group has formed to review current practices and strategize ways to expand the fund-raising donor base and increase resources to support expanding goals. SportsTurf: How has SAFE changed in 15 years of its existence? Warnick: While I'm certainly not the complete encyclopedia of SAFE, I have noticed a trend toward a much greater demand for field safety and playability information from the general public. I believe in the early years our focus was perhaps more inward or directed to STMA membership and now we are able to respond more fully to the needs of field user-groups nationwide with expanded media outlets and networking. As an example, SAFE has produced and circulated brief videos depicting basic field safety items to be aware of.