Thinking of taking your field construction and maintenance knowledge to the next level? The opportunity is waiting for you at the Synthetic Turf Council (STC)’s Annual Conference, when the Certified Field Builder (CFB) exam will be given. The exam will be given on Sunday, March 6. The meeting will be held at the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix, Arizona.
The last time the exam was given, it was at the American Sports Builders Association (ASBA)’s Technical Meeting. A total of five (5) new Certified Field Builders were awarded the designation, including those who took the exam at that time.
The CFB exam is a voluntary certification program, allowing those who work in the construction and maintenance of athletic fields 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 field construction.
Those who are interested in the exam may choose to pursue the designation of CFB, which indicates a knowledge of both natural and synthetic fields; or alternatively, may choose to pursue a designation of CFB-N (Certified Field Builder-Natural) or CFB-S (Certified Field Builder-Synthetic), each indicating a different specialty.
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 he or she has a set amount of sports field construction experience, and then pass a comprehensive exam. In order to retain 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 exam will next be given at the STC conference as part of the American Sports Builders Association’s special partnership with ASBA. Applications to take the exam must be submitted by Friday, February 25. (The exam may also be taken at other times by making arrangements directly with the ASBA staff).
Information on the meeting of the Synthetic Turf Council is available at the website of http://syntheticturfcouncil.org/
Information on the CFB certification, including eligibility forms, application materials, policies, handbooks and more, can be obtained by going to www.sportsbuilders.org. Use the toolbar at the top of the page, select “Certification” (the fourth option from the left) and click on it. Choose “Certified Field Builders” from the drop-down menu. All the materials you need are right there.