Texas Sports Turf Managers Association
Summer 2014
SIDELINES The Official Publication of TXSTMA
President’s Message Wow, what a summer! If most guys around the state are in the same boat as me it’s been quite a summer. We started out having spring transitions issues due to some cold temperature damage/winter kill. Once we decided that there were areas that just weren’t coming back it was time to get out the sod cutters. Now hold on, our colleagues in the sod production business were running into the same issues and now we have a shortage of replacement sod to work with. Fun Summer Ha Ha! I know many of you had an opportunity to come to the Field Day at Toyota Stadium in Frisco in late M ay to see an impressive new field renovation technique. “Man talking about taking a field down to the nub.” But, according Region I Director Allen Reed, CSFM with a little extra fertilizer, topdressing, time and water and the fields came b ack fast and in great shape for future beat downs. We had Field Day on June 12 on the south side of Houston at the Angelton ISD Facilities. Thanks to Rudy Santos for hosting that event and also thanks to Josh Scott our Region III Director for p utting the event together. A special thanks to Dr. Casey Reynolds for coming down and giving a presentation on putting together an Annual Field Maintenance Calendar and fertilizer options. Our latest Field Day took place in San Antonio on August 5 at St. M ary’s University. We had a few guys show up for a short round table discussion on challenges everyone h ad faced up to that point in the year. We then had a presentation from the contractor that built the baseball stadium recently at St. Mary’s and the challenges that were encountered during the project. We took a tour of the athletic fields of St. M arys and then went back inside for lunch and other presentations from (SAWS) San Antonio Water System, another talk on Fire Ant control and our last presentation was on Beneficial Insect use. Thanks to Michael Pinon our Region II Director and St. Mary’s University for hosting our event. Thanks to Tim Lousch who was a big help in putting this field day together, also. It looks like summer is winding down (according to the calendar) but it never fails those hot summer days still seem to linger into late September. Hopefully most of you survived the summer d rought (some were lucky enough to get some timely summer rains). I h ope we are all b etter managers of our turf now, because of the always challenging curves that M other Nature throws our way. Our main goal as a b oard is to try and provide as many quality educational opportunities for our membership as we can. We are always looking for members to step up and offer their facilities to host those events. If you think you would be interested in hosting an event please call one of your board members and let’s discuss it. Sincerely your friend in Turf, Rusty Walker, CSFM Athletic Field Foreman City of Grapevine
The Texas Sports Turf Managers Association (TXSTMA) is comprised of professional turf managers from colleges and universities, parks and recreation, school districts, private facilities, professional sports, researchers, commercial suppliers and students working in or interested in sports turf management.
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2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE BOARD President Rusty Walker, CSFM City of Grapevine rwalker@grapevinetexas.gov
President Elect: Kevin Lebanik Direct Solutions klebanik@agriumat.com Past President: Nick McKenna, CSFM Texas A&M University nmckenna@athletics.tamu.edu st
1 Commercial Vice President: Darin Eberly Pioneer Manufacturing Co. deberly@pioneerathletics.com nd
2 Commercial Vice President: John Kearns Professional Turf Products kearnsj@proturf.com
Treasurer: Leo Goertz Texas A&M lgoertz@athletics.tamu.edu
COMMITTEE DIRECTORS Advertising: Travis Sales City of Mesquite
tsales@ci.mesquite.tx.us Communication Committee Dan Bergstrom Houston Astros Baseball Club dbergstrom@astros.com
Region I (DFW): Allen Reed, CSFM FC Dallas areed@fcdallas.net
Region II (Austin/San Antonio): Mike Piñon San Antonio ISD Athletic Department michaelpinon@yahoo.com Region III (Houston): Josh Scott Alvin ISD jscott@alvinisd.net
Membership: Brant Williams, CSFM Dallas Baptist University brant@dbu.edu
Scholarship: Chris Pitts Clear Creek ISD
chpitts@ccisd.net
PLEASE REMEMBER TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP VIA THE WEBSITE, AS WELL AS UPDATE YOUR MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION.
www.txstma.org
Board Member Highlight: Kevin Lebanik
Kevin Lebanik is a 20 year veteran of the turfgrass growing world. He started as a summer landscape job at 15, majored in turf grass science at The Ohio State University and has worked in the industry ever since. Kevin had spent 6 years working for landscape companies in Northern Ohio and Las Vegas, NV. He moved to the distributor side of the business 14 years ago and has been helping the landscape and sports turf managers ever since. He has worked for some of the industry leaders throughout his career in Nevada, California and Texas at Lesco, John Deere Landscape and the last 3.5 yrs. with Agrium Advanced Technologies-‐Direct Solutions. Kevin has had his spray applicators license in Ohio, Nevada, California and Texas. He also is a current licensed irrigator in Texas. He has held prior board positions with Ohio Nursery & Landscape Assoc., Nevada Landscape Assoc. and the last year at President – Elect of the TXSTMA. Kevin has beautiful wife and three great kids. In his spare time he competes in endurance races and is currently training for a 70.3 Ironman Triathlon this fall.
Thank you, Kevin, for dedicating your time and knowledge to the TXSTMA Board!
STMA NEWS Changes to CSFM Program Increase Certification Accessibility Shant Thomas Sales & Marketing Manager, STMA Fine-‐Tuning the System Many sports turf managers and turf professionals will attest to the fact that an individual’s experience “in the field” goes a long way towards making them a better professional. This is especially true for crew members and assistants working in the industry who put in long hours to ensure their fields are operating at their best. STMA agrees. A discussion began in 2012 in the Certification Testing Subcommittee about slightly recalibrating the certification process to more fully take into account the real-‐world experience of crew members, assistants and student interns to broaden accessibility and opportunity for all in the industry. A minimum of 40 points are needed to qualify for the Certification Program. Points are accumulated through education and real-‐world experience in one’s career, with varying employment positions and achievements receiving different numeric values. Previously, there had not been a formal point structure for crew members and assistants; the Certification Testing Subcommittee and STMA Board of Directors agreed that this needed to be rectified and there was consensus the experience point values for crew members and assistants be increased to reflect the value these individuals bring to their organizations. The following recommendations were made by the committee to the Board: • • •
Increase the crew member from 1 point per year to 2.5 per year Increase the assistant from 3 points per year to 4 points .1 point to be awarded per 100 hours worked for students in formal internship programs
The changes implemented allow a crew member with no formal education to be eligible to test for the Certification Program in 16 years, rather than 40 with the original point system. Additionally, the changes rightly acknowledge the importance of turf internships for students and their importance to the vitality of STMA. Planning for the Future Those individuals interested in – and passionate about – providing the best sports surfaces for all levels of play raising the level of the sports turf management industry should definitely consider becoming a Certified Sports Field Manager. Besides increasing your earning potential by (on average) $7,500, obtaining certification provides a wealth of personal benefits. Some of these include:
• • •
Recognition of achievement and your expertise as a leader in your field Commitment to excellence and the very best ideals the sports turf industry strives to honor Increased educational opportunities by expanding the availability of critical resources that will make you more effective in your position.
The CSFM program, now in its 14 year, has graduated hundreds of sports turf managers from across the industry and country, and continues to challenge those who want to “raise their game.” The testing portion is challenging but definitely do-‐able, especially for someone who has worked on a field; 79 percent of people pass it on their first or second try. If you are eligible to become certified and want to take your career to the next level, the CSFM program and STMA stand ready to assist. Visit stma.org/csfm-‐program to learn more about the program, including details on the recalibrated point system for crew members and assistants, and to download the comprehensive application packet. MAKE EXAM QUESTIONS AND CSFM LIST SEPARATE SIDEBARS The certification exam required of all applicants covers a broad range of sports turf topics but is extremely accessible to all who have experience in the field. The exam covers four major areas of sports turf management: • • • •
Agronomics Pest Management Administration Sports Specific Field Management
Practice exam sample questions: Agronomics 1. A 100 pound bag of fertilizer with an analysis of 18-‐5-‐9 would contain which of the following: a) 5 pounds of actual phosphorus b) 5 pounds of available phosphate c) 9 pounds of potassium d) 18 pounds of urea Answer: B (5 pounds of available phosphate) Pest Management 2. A herbicide with the label designation 2EC: a) Contains 2 parts per million active ingredient concentration in the container b) Has an active ingredient concentration of 2% c) Contains 2 pounds of active ingredient per gallon of formulated product d) Weighs 2 pounds per gallon Answer: C (Contains 2 pounds of active ingredient per gallon of formulated product)
Administration 3. Providing feedback is one of the most important tools for improving performance. Which of the following is not true about providing feedback? a) Negative feedback should only be given at an annual review in order to reduce tensions throughout the year b) Supportive feedback is used to reinforce actions and behaviors that are desirable c) Constructive feedback is used to change behavior that is ineffective or inappropriate d) It is important that employees understand the positive outcomes for performing well, as well as the consequences when performance is low Answer: A (Negative feedback should only be given at an annual review in order to reduce tensions throughout the year) Sports Specific Field Management 4. The most appropriate paint to use on a natural grass field is: a. Latex b. Oil-‐based c. Enamel d. All of the above can be used Answer: A (Latex
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MEMBERS: Have you recently received an award or recognition? Do you have a employee who has gone over and above and you would like to acknowledge him/her? Do you have an article you would like to submit? Do you think your field should be showcased for a particular reason? If so, please contact the TXSTMA office, txstmainfo@yahoo.com, with your information so we can share your happenings with other TXSTMA members.
Don’t wait until the next newsletter comes out to stay in touch! Join us on FACEBOOK! Search “TXSTMA” and join the group. Here, everyone can upload photos, join in on chats, and post recent information from their field. It’s a great way to network and stay in touch with your fellow TXSTMA members!
FRONT COVER PHOTO The front cover photograph is of Field D at the Oak Grove Ball field Complex in Grapevine, Texas. This field plays ages 6-8 years old, but can play up to 10U with a portable mound added to the field. Congratulations to the City of Grapevine team for creating a beautiful and safe playing environment for the community!