ASTMA SURVEY Staying connected to friends and peers and adjusting to new ways of working brought about by COVID restrictions have been the biggest challenges over the past 12 months
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ATM looks at the key findings from the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association’s recent membership survey.
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taying connected to friends and peers, adjusting to new ways of working and dealing with mental health have been among the biggest challenges over the past 12 months according to results from the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association’s (ASTMA) comprehensive member survey conducted during October. Members said they were looking to the association over coming months to help them stay on top of government updates and changes brought about by COVID19, to continue the focus on professional development programmes and to maintain advocacy efforts on their behalf on issues of importance to sports turf management. Satisfaction with the work being undertaken by the ASTMA has risen notably since the last member survey conducted in 2015, with significant improvements noted in the association’s communication, support 34
and delivery of programmes. There was also an overwhelmingly positive response for the approach to unite the sports turf industry to increase awareness and recognition of the profession. While more than 90 per cent of respondents noted that providing information, education and networking opportunities to members was a key responsibility of the association, a further 65 per cent also noted that active collaboration with government, water and environmental authorities and sporting bodies was an important area of activity that the industry looks to the association to provide.
AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 22.6
ASTMA chief executive Mark Unwin says it was pleasing to see the response rates for the association’s survey and approach to services over the past three years. “We saw a significant increase in responses from members, providing feedback into the areas of operation and their thoughts on our performance, both good and bad,” says Unwin. “There are a number of areas where members are telling us that we are performing really well in, but just as important some noted areas that they feel we need to continue to improve or perhaps haven’t delivered on as effectively as they would want. “We will use the responses to tailor further support for members, including communication and delivery of programmes to support education and, importantly, over the coming 12 months, the approach to practical resources, advocacy and mental health support as the industry moves into a ‘COVID normal’ way of facilities operating.”
