STMA Offers Education for Every Career Stage

As a sports field manager, where do you turn when you have a professional development question? We talked with Kristen Althouse, a graduate of Penn State’s Turfgrass Science program and Education Manager of the Sports Turf Managers Association. STMA is a great resource for members wishing to access educational programs that will support and advance their careers at every stage, she says. “One of the best parts of my job is interacting with our members. They are hard-working, dedicated people that are very serious about providing the best fields possible for users. If someone has a question, help is just a phone call away.”

Education Opportunities

As Education Manager, Althouse oversees many opportunities for professional growth:

• The Annual STMA Conference, four days of educational seminars, hands-on workshops, networking opportunities, tours, and a trade show. The 2020 conference (#STMA2020) will be in West Palm Beach, Florida.

• The Certified Sports Field Manager Program, developed by STMA to validate professional knowledge, skills, and abilities. To achieve this designation, an individual must qualify to take the CSFM exam by meeting a combination of requirements, including education and experience. CSFM certification can contribute to professional advancement. CSFMs must earn continuing education units to maintain their certification.

• The Environmental Facility Certification Program, official confirmation that STMA environmental best practices are implemented throughout a facility in 10 areas of management (stormwater management, fertilization, pesticides/ Integrated Pest Management, recycling, composting, mowing, energy conservation, shop buildings and storage areas, irrigation and water quality testing, and educational outreach).

• The Turfgrass Science Curriculum, developed to provide secondary students with a solid foundation in the science and practices of turfgrass management, and thus, a competitive edge in pursuing higher education or career options. This curriculum can easily be implemented into secondary agriculture education classrooms regardless of teacher experience. The format allows teachers to adjust the standards and benchmarks to meet the requirements of state Departments of Education. The curriculum can also be utilized for training individuals new to the turfgrass industry. Agriculture instructors, students, sports field crew members, parks and recreation employees, and others new to turfgrass science can all benefit from this curriculum.

STMA education is widely recognized by other associations, including American Sports Builders Association (ASBA), National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS), and National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP). If someone is interested in a formal degree, they are directed to universities that offer degree and/or certificate programs.

Assessing Needs

Kristen Althouse relies on member feedback and committee input when assessing current educational needs. For example, the STMA Information Outreach Committee is fielding concerns about glyphosate and pesticide exposure, so Dr. Travis Gannon from NC State University has been asked to present a webinar series with factual information regarding pesticide exposure. The most frequent request Althouse encounters, however, is for professional development. While many STMA members are solid on turfgrass science and can easily manage a field, they feel the need for professional skills such as communication, decision-making, work/life balance, and employee management. Questions like: How can sports turf managers have input when supervisors are considering moving from natural to synthetic turf? How can sports turf managers most effectively communicate with coaches and parents to meet their demands or ease their fears? How can the older generation of sports turf managers relate with young millennials? These questions are addressed by providing a Professional Development track at the annual conference and in the STMA Institute to assist sports turf managers with these challenges.

Resources

There are many avenues for turfgrass management professionals to get support, says Althouse. STMA has 34 chapters throughout the U.S. that represent more than 6,000 sports turf industry professionals. They provide regionally-based education that includes field days, conferences, and social events. The STMA website also provides a lot of technical information for members. Articles, conference recordings, and webinars are all available in the STMA Institute to help sports turf managers address field and personnel issues. Members have access to Michigan State’s Turfgrass Information File (TGIF), a huge database of research, as well as professional and trade articles. SportsTurf magazine, STMA’s official publication, provides industry-specific education and various social media channels – Twitter (@FieldExperts), Instagram (fieldexperts), YouTube (STMA – Sports Turf Managers Association) and Facebook (STMA – Sports Turf Managers Association) – provide great places for people to connect with their peers and share information in a public forum. And of course, members can always contact Althouse directly by phone (800-323-3875) or email (kalthouse@stma.org).

The Future

When asked about her own career path, Althouse remembers working on a golf course in high school and enjoying it so much that she decided to pursue a degree in Turfgrass Science at Penn State. She developed an interest in the educational side of the industry and found that she also really enjoys working with high school and college students. “Organizing the annual Student Challenge at the STMA conference is really exciting. A few years ago we added a hands-on component to test student skills on something they might encounter in the field,” she recalls. “I’ll never forget the looks on their faces the first year we did it — they had to do irrigation assembly. I think the committee had more fun with that than the students!”

Perhaps it was her own early experiences that have led Althouse to look beyond active professionals to younger generations. “As the future of our industry, it is important to support their growth.” She has made a strong push to reach high school students with the secondary turfgrass science curriculum she developed. In addition, she is working with FFA on a Career Development Event focusing specifically on turfgrass science and hopes to incorporate more turfgrass science topics into existing events. “STMA is a small association, but our members have a huge impact,” she says. With her attention to the up and coming generations, that impact is sure to continue.

Kristen Althouse

Keystone Athletic Field Managers Organization

1451 Peter’s Mountain Road

Dauphin, PA 17018-9504

www.KAFMO.org

Email: KAFMO@aol.com

Contact: Linda Kulp, Executive Secretary

Phone: 717-497-4154

kulp1451@gmail.com

Contact: Dan Douglas, President

Phone: 610-375-8469 x 212

KAFMO@aol.com