The American Sports Builders Association (ASBA), the national organization for builders and suppliers of materials for athletic facilities, has announced the inception of its new Field Builder Certification Program. The program, which was developed to help raise professional standards and improve the practice of athletic field construction, will offer its first exam at the ASBA’s Technical Meeting, to be held in Savannah, Georgia.
Certification, which is a voluntary process that validates an individual’s qualifications and knowledge, is already offered by ASBA for tennis court builders (who are eligible to earn the Certified Tennis Court Builder, or CTCB, designation) and for builders of running tracks (who are eligible to earn the designation of Certified Track Builder, or CTB). In both cases, individuals must meet eligibility requirements and successfully complete a comprehensive examination. In order to maintain their designation, they must recertify every three years.
Individuals interested in the new Field Builder Certification program may choose several levels of certification. The Certified Field Builder (CFB) designation demonstrates a core knowledge of field construction as well as expertise in both natural turf and synthetic turf. Alternatively, builders who wish to pursue certification in only one type of turf may choose to take the exam to become a Certified Field Builder-Natural (CFB-N) or Certified Field Builder-Synthetic (CFB-S). Of the three exams, the CFB requires a more comprehensive knowledge. All certifications would be renewable every three years.
The Field Builder Certification Program also marks the first time the ASBA has collaborated with two other industry organizations on a certification program, the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) and the Synthetic Turf Council (STC). Members of those organizations are eligible to take any of the three new exams at the ASBA member rate, which is substantially lower.
“The Field Builder Certification Program represents a huge step forward for the industry,” said ASBA’s Field Builder Certification Committee Chairman, Dan Wright (Sports Turf Company, Whitesburg, GA). “It will help promote quality construction and just as importantly, will allow the public to identify builders who have taken their knowledge to the next level.”
“We are very pleased that a comprehensive certification is being offered, that it addresses different segments of the industry, and that it works in partnership with two other major players in the athletic turf market,” added ASBA’s Fields Division President, John Schedler, CTB (FieldTurf Tarkett, Highlands Ranch, CO). “This allows more builders access to the exam across the board.”
ASBA worked with Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc. (AMP), a professional testing company, to ensure that proper test development procedures were followed in the development of the exam. The exam is based on role delineation studies – surveys of builders that define the scope of practice and the knowledge and skills required to function competently as a sports field builder. The examination is designed to test a sample of content from the full range of knowledge and the complete inventory of skills required of sports field builders.
The exam will be offered for the first time on Dec. 4 in conjunction with the ASBA’s Technical Meeting, scheduled for December 5-7 at the Hyatt Regency Savannah in Savannah, Georgia. Those interested in learning more about the certification exam or the meeting may contact the organization by phone at 866-501-ASBA, 410-730-9595, by fax at 410-730-8833, or electronically at www.sportsbuilders.org or info@sportsbuilders.org.