The American Sports Builders Association (ASBA) has announced the names of the individuals most recently recognized as Certified Field Builders, or CFB. ASBA offers its voluntary certification program which allows builders of specific athletic facilities (in addition to sports fields, ASBA also offers certification in tennis court and running track construction) to demonstrate proof of their experience, as well as their knowledge of sports-facility-specific construction.
The program was developed in order to help raise professional standards and improve the practice of sports facility construction. The CFB designation encompasses both natural grass and synthetic turf fields; however, an individual may choose to specialize and become either a CFB-N (the designation for those specializing in natural grass fields) or CFB-S (for those specializing in synthetic turf).
Two other types of certification are offered for those with expertise in other sports facilities; they are the Certified Tennis Court Builder (CTCB) and the Certified Track Builder (CTB).
In order to become a certified builder, an individual must meet specific criteria set forth by ASBA; he or she must complete an application that shows proof of a set amount of experience in the chosen type of sports facility, and then pass a comprehensive exam on construction and maintenance. In order to maintain the designation, an individual must recertify every three years by documenting a sufficient level of continuing education activities in the relevant field or by passing the examination again.
The following individuals have successfully completed all requirements to become Certified Field Builders:
Robert Delmonico, CTB of R.A.D. Sports, Rockland, Massachusetts
Hector Puentes, CFB, CTB of Texas Sports Builders, Burleson, Texas
David Quirk, CFB, Quirk Construction Corp., Georgetown, Massachusetts
John Schedler, CFB, CTB of Atlas Track & Tennis, Tualatin, Oregon
Joe Williamson, CFB, Sports Turf Company, Whitesburg, Georgia
The exam was most recently given at its Technical Meeting, held December 4-6 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and attended by a record 400-plus industry members. (The next Technical Meeting, which will be held December 1-6, 2011, will take place at the J.W. Marriott Resort and Spa in Palm Desert, California). The exam is given at meetings offered by the ASBA, at the STMA conference, or by making other arrangements with ASBA.
Those who want to learn more about the certification program are encouraged to go to the ASBA website at www.sportsbuilders.org, and using the top toolbar, select the “Certification” button (fourth from the left). A drop-down menu will allow the user to choose among certification pertaining to sports fields, tennis courts, or running tracks. A full list of currently certified builders is provided as well as information on eligibility, on the exam, on maintenance of certification, and on policies relating to certification.
For additional information, contact the Association 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.