Winter 2014 sidelines

Texas Sports Turf Managers Association

“TXSTMA Central” was the trade show booth where members came by to say hello. Several future members also stopped by for information about the association. Traffic was steady throughout the show.

Special thanks to the Texas Turfgrass Association for providing the booth space. We appreciate it!

Providing education and training for safer and healthier sports turf facilities Txstma.org txstmainfo@ yahoo.com (817) 736-0727 P.O. Box 11967 College Station, TX 77842

Winter 2014 Issue

The Fort Worth Convention Center was the perfect venue for conference attendees to kick up their heels. This star made up of cowboy hats greeted visitors “Fort Worth style”.

Texas Turfgrass President and TXSTMA Board Member, Travis Sales does the honors of cutting the ribbon to open the Trade Show. He is flanked by other TTA Board Members at this ceremony.

Nice job Travis!

Aaron Clampitt is all smiles after being awarded the 2014 Cody Hobbs Scholarship. His award was for $500 to be applied toward professional continuing education. Aaron works for the City of Wylie and has plans to pursue a career in Sports Turf Management.

Also awarded but not pictured were Chase Brister of Texas A&M and Brae Minor of Texas Tech.

Both are pursuing degrees in Turfgrass management.

Once the ribbon was cut, attendees paraded through the Fort Worth Convention Center to see the latest and greatest in equipment innovation and updates in products and services. Traffic was steady through both days of the trade show sessions. Several vendors reported good traffic and contact with many customers. The Trade Show is always a great way to shop, get new ideas and network with peers.

Hope!!!

I hope everyone is planning on taking much needed time off during the holiday season to refresh and to recharge the batteries.

I hope you got to take the time to attend the Texas Turfgrass Association’s winter educational conference and trade show in Fort Worth. There were some great talks, opportunities to meet new friends and to connect with old acquaintances you may not have seen since last year’s conference. If you were not fortunate enough to attend, encourage your employer to allow you to attend next years Conference in San Antonio.

I hope you were able to attend the TXSTMA annual meeting and election of next years’ officers during the TTA conference. I want to personally give a big THANK YOU to all the board members that take the time out of their busy schedules to serve you and the sports turf industry. Thanks to the membership and the board for allowing me the opportunity to serve another year as the president for 2015. The board is focused on our main goal of providing as many educational opportunities at our regional field days that are of value to you and your crew. I hope you take a day off when we offer the field day opportunities to allow yourself and your crew (as many as you can spare for a few hours) to take advantage of the educational opportunities.

We are always looking for members to step up and offer their facilities to host these events. If you think you would be interested in hosting an event, please call one of your board members and let’s discuss it. Don’t forget to check our website often to get the most up-to-date schedule for our future Field Days @txstma.org. Your membership renewal reminders should be in your e-mail inbox in the next couple of weeks. You can go online to renew or call the office and we can take your credit card information over the phone as well.

HOT OFF THE PRESS! Our very own TXSTMA board member Dan Bergstrom has recently been elected to the STMA Board of Directors. His position is Director, Professional Facilities Representative and he will officially take office at the Denver conference. This is a really terrific accomplishment and will provide TXSTMA members with great representation on a national level.

Nice work Dan and good luck with your new position.

I Hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Safe and Prosperous New Year.

Sincerely your friend in Turf, Rusty Walker, CSFM Athletic Field Foreman—City of Grapevine

On behalf of the TXSTMA President, Board of Directors and staff, we wish all members and their families a very happy and prosperous New Year. May every swing you take be a home run, every pass you throw a touchdown and every kick you take a gooooooal!

We look forward to seeing you in 2015!

Trade Show

Calm before the storm.

Diamond Pro’s Tom Burns either checking his Facebook likes or more likely wrapping up another big bid.

Jacobsen Orange spiffed up and ready for the tire kickers—and there were many. The red and green guys saw a lot of action too.

Conference Education and TTA Annual

TXSTMA Past President Nick McKenna CSFM (left) and Craig Potts gave a very good presentation on Infield Maintenance.

Travis Moore, superintendent at Ridgewood CC was elected TTA President

Even some of the old golf guys made a stop at the TXSTMA booth just to keep tabs. Probably telling (missed) birdie stories.

We have to give a speech?

Rusty Walker and Raymond Miller prep for the TTA board of directors election.

Pam Sherratt from Ohio State University was the Keynote speaker at the TTA Annual Meeting. Her turf quiz left many looking for a lifeline.

Congratulations to our own President Rusty Walker, CSFM for being elected to the Region 2 Texas Turfgrass Association Board of Directors. He will serve a two year term. Rusty has been a very active member of the TTA for many years and will do a great job representing turfgrass professionals in Region 2.

TXSTMA Annual Meeting and Luncheon

Past President Nick McKenna CSFM and President Rusty Walker CSFM keeping each other honest on one of the prize drawings.

Master Twitterer Dr. Joey Young was the happy recipient of $50 for the twitter hashtag drawing.

Congrats Dr. Joey “Hashtag� Young

TXSTMA members attended the Annual Meeting in mass and sat like they were in church. Plenty of room up front, boys.

January 13 - 16, 2015 STMA's 26th Conference & Exhibition

March 11, 2015 Mary Hardin Baylor University Education and Field Day Event

Spring 2015 Date and Site to be Determined - Houston Region Education and Field Day Event

May 12, 2015 Globe Life Park (Home of the Texas Rangers) Education and Field Day Event

July 13, 2015 Texas Tech University - Turfgrass Research Field Day Details of Event Coming Soon

October 6, 2015 DFW Clay Shoot Scholarship Fundraiser

October 2015 Texas A & M University - Education and Field Day Event These are just a few of the events that will be coming your way in 2015!

We will post more details and events as they become available.

All dates are tentative and subject to change.

General Information on License Renewal While some TDA licenses/registrations are issued for more than one year, the majority of them are annual.

TDA is required to send out a renewal invoice to license holders at least 30 days in advance of the license expiration date. Generally, TDA sends out renewal invoices 45 days prior to the expiration of the license. The invoice is mailed to the contact address on file. If your address has changed, it is imperative that you update the information with TDA. Failure to do so may result in failure to receive the invoice. This, in turn, may cause your payment to be late, resulting in a substantial late fee.

2015 Membership Renewal!

The TXSTMA values your membership and continuing support. We appreciate your participation and would like to remind you that it is time to renew your membership for 2015. Follow the links below to make the process as easy as pie.

WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! Renew your membership

by January 31st and your name will go into a drawing for a $50.00 gift card to Bass Pro Shops! For two entries into the drawing, "like" us on Facebook or "follow" us on Twitter. If you currently are our Facebook friend or Twitter follower, you're already halfway there!

1. Update Contact Information Click Here if your contact information has changed. If nothing has changed recently, skip to step 2.

2. Pay for Membership - Click Here 3. That's it! Your Done!

Membership Categories  Professional Member - $30.00  Primary Commercial Member $75.00  Affiliate Commercial Member - $35.00 (same company as Primary)  Associate Membership - $20.00 (coaches, ADs, admin, educators)  Retired Professional Member - $15.00  Student Member - $10.00

There are many benefits of being a member of TXSTMA. One of the best benefits is being able to attend area field days for free and fundraising clay shoots. Want to know more of the benefits?

Click Here

Wow, what a bargain!

If you are not a current member we would love to have you as a member.

All you have to do is:

4

1. Membership Application - Click Here 2. Pay for Membership - Click Here 3. That's it! Your Done! Now enjoy you membership!

Members like you make doing business a real pleasure.

At field days you receive education, tours, lunch and terrific networking opportunities all for FREE! Our fun Clay Shooting Fundraisers are offered for a reasonable fee so we can offer scholarships to deserving students and members in the industry.

By: Brian Cloud Seems like an easy deal: Sign up, show up, hang out, and head home. But if that is your game plan for attending your local STMA-affiliated chapter event, you are really missing out on great opportunities to broaden your horizons. Think about it - a full day to interact with your peers in a relaxed atmosphere that typically includes a great educational program, a nice meal, network with affiliate partners and an opportunity to tour one of the outstanding facilities managed by one of your peers. You can probably increase your value to your employer more in a single day than you can in months by making the most of this opportunity.

Following is a list of what to do, and what not to do, to maximize your chapter meeting experience. The most common reasons chapter members say they don’t attend meetings are cost, travel distance and time away from the job. This article addresses some of these concerns and offers tips to reduce these hurdles, whether you are a field manager, assistant, affiliate member or any other member who wants to attend meetings and make the most of your time, effort and money.

Do: Register early. Your board of directors and chapter executive work very hard to make sure all the details for each meeting are organized and first-class. Knowing how many people are going to attend is always a mystery and makes arranging menus, room setup and tours a challenge. When you see a meeting announcement that you know you want to attend, sign up early. Don’t put that meeting announcement in a pile on your desk or in a folder in your email. If something comes up and you have to cancel your registration, it is no big deal. Just let chapter leaders know as soon as you can.

Dos and Don’ts of Chapter Meeting Attendance Do: Register early Don’t: Wait until the last minute to cancel your registration Do: Support your organization Do: Bring a guest to a meeting Do: Invite a fellow member to a meeting Do: Prepare to be gone for the day Do: Arrive early Don’t: Skip the education and lunch Do: Meet new people Do: Share with your peers Don’t: Only talk about business Do: Welcome affiliate members who participate Don’t: Hesitate to pat the event host on the back Do: Follow up Do: Let your supervisor know about the event

Don’t: Wait until the last minute to cancel your registration. If something comes up and you have to cancel your registration, let chapter leaders know as soon as you can. A last-minute cancellation can really throw a wrench into best-laid plans. It’s the nature of the industry to have lastminute things come up, so sometimes it impossible to avoid; but please be courteous to your chapter leaders who are working hard to make the events run smoothly.

Do: Support your organization. Part of your association's commitment to providing great education and member services depends on good meeting attendance. At most venues, the financial liability and risk for securing a meeting site can be significant. Your attendance at events really motivates affiliates to sponsor and support your association. This support allows members to attend field day events for free!

The better the attendance, the more easily your association can provide exceptional member services and programs. Many members find a way for at least one person from their operation to attend each event in their area. Chapters benefit greatly when members and companies adopt that goal.

Do: Bring a guest to a meeting. Most chapter meetings have room for members to bring guests. That is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the professional nature of your group and to show a general manager, employer or supervisor how important it is to attend meetings. Meetings may also be an incentive or reward for assistants or crew members for a job well done. This can be a great way to do some team building in a productive way. Don’t forget non-members - inviting them as guests will show them the benefits of belonging to the association and helping your chapter grow. TXSTMA guests are required to pay a $30 fee for each meeting which also includes their membership. Affiliate members pay $75 for their first member and $35 for any others. This fee covers costs for any other Field Day event during the year.

Do: Invite a fellow member to a meeting. Pick up the phone, send a text or email and invite a fellow member to a meeting.

Think what it would mean to a new member to be personally invited to be a part of the group. And it doesn't have to be a newcomer - some members just get out of the habit of attending meetings, and an invitation to attend may be just the nudge needed to get them back in the swing of things. Most members work within a few miles of several other facilities, while some meetings may be more than 100 miles round trip depending on your location. Sharing a ride is a great way to reduce expenses and spend extra time with your local peers. For vendors, inviting customers (or potential customers) to meetings shows your appreciation for their business and helps build relationships. Inviting a member and offering to cover his or her expenses is as good, or better, an investment of your company’s money than taking someone to lunch or the ballgame. And it’s a much more productive and industry-related method.

Do: Prepare to be gone for the day. Anyone can come up with a hundred reasons why they can't be away from the job for even a day. But the truth is that most operations can survive just fine even with the manager gone, provided everyone is prepared. Make sure the right people at your operation know where you are going and exactly what is expected to be accomplished while you are gone. Plan for these days well in advance and things will go smoothly. You will only be a phone call away, and most issues can wait until you return the next day.

Do: Arrive early. Some of the best opportunities to meet people and network come before the actual agenda starts, when the crowd is smaller and people are relaxed. Usually, meetings are packed with activity, and it helps when everyone arrives a little early to get registered and so that the event can start on time. Make sure you have clear directions, especially in an unfamiliar area. And if you haven't noticed, traffic is more unpredictable than Mother Nature, so plan ahead.

Don’t: Skip the education and lunch. Most chapters offer members the option to participate in only the education and meeting portion. It is a great option if it is not possible to be away all day or other commitments prevent you from being gone all day. However, if you skip the education and only make the tours, you are definitely missing the best opportunity to gain important knowledge from the program. If the education doesn't pertain to your current situation, it is very likely that it may someday.

Do: Meet new people. Just look around and you are sure to find someone new to introduce yourself to at a meeting. Most people gravitate to those they already know, but everyone benefits from meeting new members in this setting. Set a goal for each meeting to shake three to five new hands. It is always amusing to hear longtime members say they don't recognize all the new people. Well, there is an easy remedy for that.

Do: Share with your peers. Please come to the meetings ready to share your troubles, your successes and even your failures. Chapter members have always been supportive of each other, are always ready to share information and extend a helping hand. Nine times out of 10 you will find someone who has faced the same issues and is willing to share their experience. Participate in meetings by asking questions or providing insight. Chapters have a massive amount of information that is very useful if everyone is willing to participate by contributing.

Don’t: Only talk about business. Believe it or not, there is more to life than the weather, and employees who are driving you crazy. Get to know some of your fellow members on a different level by talking about their families, hobbies, sports or anything other than growing grass. You'll find out that they are a pretty interesting bunch, and it helps to find common ground with your peers.

Do: Welcome affiliate members who participate. Affiliate members make up a significant portion of your chapters’ total membership and contribute very generously with their membership, participation at meetings and sponsorships. Affiliates are a very valuable component to the success of chapters and deserve the right to participate. Just like you, they have a job to do, and building relationships with their customers is a very important part of their job. So don't be offended if an affiliate member introduces themselves and leaves you with a business card. Associations recognize the value of all of their members, and all members should share in that spirit.

Don’t: Hesitate to pat the event host on the back. Hosting a meeting is a very stressful endeavor, and field managers should be praised for inviting their peers to inspect their work with a fine tooth

comb. A thoughtful comment or compliment to the host can go a long way to relieve that stress. Not everyone works with the same budget or under the same circumstances, so it helps to let the host know that you recognize the job they are doing with the resources they manage.

Do: Follow up. With email and text messaging, it couldn't take a whole minute to write a quick thank you to the host or someone new you met. If you have more time, pick up the phone or leave a message. Those kinds of efforts are really appreciated by the recipient and will help you build that all-important network that will benefit you and your career in the future.

Do: Let your supervisor know about the event. Make a habit of letting your supervisor know what type of education was presented, what you learned from touring the facility, who you met, etc. He or she is probably the person writing the checks to pay for your membership, so you want to make sure they know the facility is getting its money's worth and your attendance at future meetings is a value. It can be as simple as a quick conversation over a cup of coffee or a written report depending on your situation.

Keeping your supervisor informed will help justify the costs associated with meeting attendance.

Do: Provide feedback to your chapter. Your chapter leaders are always working to make your meetings enjoyable and productive. In order to accomplish this, feedback from the membership is necessary and important. Take the time to let them know what you enjoyed or appreciated, and also let them know if you have any suggestions or constructive criticism about how the meetings can be made better.

Do: Consider hosting a Field Day event at your venue. As mentioned, hosting an event can be a stressful endeavor. However, there is no better way to step up and support your association than by hosting a Field Day. It’s a guarantee that your fellow members will learn something from your operation and appreciate your hospitality. It also sends a clear message to your staff and your employers that you are proud of your facility. Your chapter leaders will really appreciate your effort.

Hopefully, these suggestions will give you a few things to think about when it comes to chapter meeting attendance. So, make plans today to attend an upcoming event and make the most of your experience.

About the Coalition

Texas Water Smart is a public-private partnership of nearly 300 businesses, associations, research organizations and state and local officials who have contributed to its growth and success. Since spring of 2012, the program has been highly effective in raising awareness of ways homeowners and businesses can save green – in their landscapes and in their wallets. - See more at: www.texaswatersmart.com

Are You Connected with TXSTMA? We hope you are enjoying all of the new communication vehicles we are using to reach our members!

Please make sure your email address is current so you don’t miss out.

Let us know at txstmainfo@yahoo.com You can also “Like” us on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter!

STMA Conference app for your smart device STMA is going mobile again at the 2015 Conference! Access various conference features including the schedule, exhibitor list, speaker list, education session information, maps, and sponsors. Create your own personalized schedule to make sure you attend all the conference has to offer. Build your own profile and connect with other attendees and exhibitors to boost your professional contacts. Stay tuned for more information on how you can connect and share with others about the education sessions you are attending, new products and services on the trade show floor, and the various networking opportunities.

Have you tried any of these other industry apps?

STMA’s publication SportsTurf Magazine available on itunes What is the Turfpath Mobile app?

PBI-Gordon introduces WeedAlert mobile app Diamond Pro introduces mobile app Get Rain Bird info with new catalog mobile app Clemson University offers sprayer calibration app New app for turfgrass pest problems New Backed by Bayer includes expanded mobile app TeeJet SpraySelect app makes tip selection easier New web, mobile apps estimate propane costs Website and free mobile app called Mobile Weed Manual now available Ewing offers free mobile app with irrigation calculators and more

STMA's 26th Conference & Exhibition Denver Colorado - January 13 - 16, 2015

We are headed to Denver too! Your Chapter Executive team will be there Thursday and Friday networking and gathering ideas to improve our Texas association. We will also attend the COTS education session (Chapter Officers Training) to hear ideas on chapter growth and sustainability. Thank you to the TXSTMA Board of Directors for supporting this trip. We appreciate the opportunity!

Having recognized the importance of fostering and improving professionalism within the sports turf industry, STMA has developed a certification program for sports turf managers.

Attaining the Certified Sports Field Manager status means you will be looked upon as a leader in the industry. It will give you a sense of pride and accomplishment and it can even improve your current or future employment prospects.

Becoming a CSFM is meant to challenge your knowledge of managing sports fields and to draw upon all aspects of your background in education and experience to prove that you are one of the best in the industry. Meeting the challenge can contribute to your professional advancement in sports field management. Contact STMA Headquarters for a CSFM Application Form.

Benefits For You

Benefits For Your Employer

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A valuable learning experience

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Recognition of achievement Increased earnings potential Commitment to excellence

    

Increased professionalism Commitment to excellence Acknowledged accountability Dedication to cost effective facility management Commitment to field safety

CSFM Qualifications The STMA firmly believes that a combination of education and experience are necessary to be the best possible athletic field manager. However, it also recognizes that in a profession as diverse as the sports turf industry, experience should play a major role.

In order to successfully gain certification, you must meet certain education and/or experience requirements. These requirements were set to establish minimum criterion for becoming certified. You will notice, however, that there is a strong leaning toward experience as a sports field manager. For example, it is possible to be certified without having any formal education beyond high school if you have enough years of experience. You cannot, however, become certified by virtue of education alone.

CSFM Requirements A total of 40 combined education and experience points are required to take the certification examination.

Congratulations to the following individuals in Texas who have achieved and maintained the CSFM Certification

Brian Carey, CSFM

SSC Services for Education

College Station, TX

Richard Clarke, CSFM

Grand Prairie ISD

Denton, TX

Robin Edwards, CSFM

City of Farmers Branch

Farmers Branch, TX

Nick McKenna, CSFM

Texas A&M University

Bryan, TX

Allen Reed, CSFM

FC Dallas

Frisco, TX

Rusty Walker, CSFM

City of Grapevine

Grapevine, TX

Brant Williams, CSFM

Dallas Baptist University

Dallas, TX

*This list was taken directly from the STMA website on 1/1/15.

We apologize if anyone was left off the list or added incorrectly.

Executive Directors: President: Rusty Walker, CSFM—City of Grapevine, rwalker@grapevinetexas.gov Past President: Nick McKenna, CSFM— Texas A&M University, nmckenna@athletics.tamu.edu President - Elect: Kevin Lebanik—Harrell's, Klebanik@harrells.com 1st Commercial Vice Pres: Darin Eberly—Pioneer Manuf. Co., deberly@pioneerathletics.com 2nd Commercial Vice Pres: John Kearns—Professional Turf Products, kearnsj@proturf.com Treasurer: Leo Goertz—Texas A&M University, lgoertz@athletics.tamu.edu Committee Directors: Advertising: Travis Sales—City of Mesquite, tsales@ci.mesquite.tx.us Communication Committee: Dan Bergstrom—Houston Astros, dbergstrom@astros.com Region I (DFW): Allen Reed, CSFM, FC Dallas, areed@fcdallas.net Region II (Austin/San Antonio): Michael Piñon, San Antonio ISD, 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 Chapter Executive: Carol Cloud, Carolcloud@txstma.org, (817) 736-0727