Turf

SPORTS TURF INDUSTRY Members of STMA oversee fields like this one at Iowa State University. bers, which is a healthy student population, Heck added. "The largest area for growth is in the high school (K-12) area," Heck said. "We haven't maxed out in that market by any means. Our percentage is only about 10-11 percent. We would like to grow membership of those who take care of the fields at the high school level. There are 22,000 school districts in U.S. I think about 16,000 of them have sports fields. Yet we have a very small percentage of the schools' K-12 sports turf managers." She's noticed a recent uptick in the sports turf economy. "Construction overall the last couple years has been a little bit hesitant on the municipal side when the budgets maybe weren't there," Heck said. "From the builders I've been speaking with that has started to get loose. They're finding money for projects— more renovation dollars, not just capital dollars." San Antonio hosted STMA's 25th Conference & Exhibition on Jan. 21-25. A historical video highlighted the anniversary and honored two founders: Dick Ericson served as first president of the STMA and was head groundskeeper for the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings at Metropolitan Stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minn. George Toma maintained fields at numerous fields used by Major League Baseball and the National Football League. He was head groundskeeper for the Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Chiefs. He was also contracted by the NFL to 24  www.westernturfmag.com prepare the field for every Super Bowl. In 1981, when a small group of turfgrass managers, including Ericson and Toma, believed sports turf could be improved through sharing of knowledge and exchange of ideas, the STMA was officially formed. Steve Wightman delivered a brief history of STMA and the annual conference. Dr. Rick Rigsby served as keynote speaker and addressed "Skills to Survive in the Future." Number of exhibitors in San Antonio reached about 170 with about 1,600 attendees. The Penn State Center for Turf Grass Research and University of Tennessee Center for Sports Turf Safety are the association's top research sites. "Both of them are actively producing research and bringing new technology to our members," Heck said. Heck previously held membership services positions on the staff of the 20,000-member Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, including director of brand strategy and market research. She noted some carryover between STMA and GCSAA. "We discuss education and what's going on with education," Heck said. "Both our student organizations have student populations. "I met with the GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans a few weeks ago to talk about association stuff," she said. "Really in particular the GCSAA has been helpful in government relations. They have a nice government relations depart- ment that stays on top of things that are going on around the United States. We have a pretty small staff, so they share information about items we can be aware of and alert our members about." Some STMA members also belong to GCSAA. "We have found, especially in municipalities if there is any downsizing or resources are limited, oftentimes the sports turf managers have to oversee the municipal golf course," Heck said. "So they join the association for information. It goes both ways." STMA moved its headquarters from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Lawrence, Kan., in 2004. The headquarters is housed in a historic stone building that is the oldest existing warehouse in the state of Kansas. The original stone and wood construction was built in 1857 and was destroyed during Quantrill's Raid during the Kansas/Missouri border wars. After it was rebuilt, the building was home to the Kansas Seed House from 1875 until 1962. Heck's arrival at the association coincided with the move. "Lawrence is a wonderful community," she said. "It's a college town and vibrant." It's also not far from Kansas City and centrally located for the 13 STMA board members. GCSAA headquarters are also in Lawrence. "I have the luxury of having a board that is focused on strategy," Heck said. Since Heck's arrival the association also has an international strategy. "Our members have been environmental stewards," Heck said. "Until several years ago we never really told that story. Our environmental committee is working on an environmental certification program for facilities. It will be a great platform for them to tell their story." In the last decade, the biggest change is adapting to available technology and the improved ability to get information to members. "You can get so much information right at your fingertips," Heck said. "Members can access information while they are out on their fields with smartphones. That change is huge for the association." For more information about STMA, visit www.stma.org. WT

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