The STMA Southeastern Regional Conference and Trade Show, June 15-16, has an exciting lineup of educational opportunities. To access the brochure, click here.
Wednesday, June 15 features 5 unique outdoor education sessions set up so attendees can rotate through each one.
• Center for Athletic Field Safety Overview – Dr. John Sorochan and Adam Thoms will lead attendees through a tour of University of Tennessee’s state of the art Center for Athletic Field Safety. The tour will include an overview of Dr. Jim Brosnan and Dr. John Sorochan’s 10 year research project. Research includes comparisons of the performance and safety of different synthetic turf surfaces as well as cool and warm season turfgrass fields constructed on varying rootzones.
• Best Practices for Athletic Field Painting – Dr. Grady Miller and Eric Fasbender, CSFM will provide attendees with a research-based overview on the best practices for athletic field painting. Topics covered will include the effects of different paints on bermudagrasses as well as a demonstration of proper painting techniques.
• Using Athletic Field Covers to Your Advantage – Dr. Mike Goatley and Jesse Pritchard, CSFM will discuss the best practices for using turf covers based on current research. Focus will be on the effects of different covers on bermudagrass and overseeded turf. Real-world situations where covers have proven to be a valuable tool will be discussed.
• New Tools for Sports Turf Pest Management – Dr. Jim Brosnan and Dr. Brandon Horvath will guide attendees on a tour of active research plots. Attendees will learn about the newest herbicides and fungicides for use in sports turf.
• New Bermudagrasses for Athletic Fields – Dr. Tom Samples will teach about the use of new bermudagrasses for athletic field management.
Thursday, June 16, attendees will be able to choose between the football and baseball educational tracks.
The football track is as follows:
• Turf Maintenance at Neyland Stadium – Darren Seybold will provide an overview of the field maintenance practices at Neyland Stadium and Haslam Field.
• Traffic Tolerant Bermudagrass Varieties for the Transition Zone – Dr. John Sorochan will present a research-based overview on traffic tolerant bermudagrasses that can be used on athletic fields in the transition zone.
• Bermudagrass Management to Prevent Winter Injury – Dr. Mike Goatley will discuss best management practices that reduce winter injury on bermudagrass athletic fields.
• Use of Bermudagrass on Football Fields – Eric Fasbender, CSFM will discuss bermudagrass management for football fields. He will also cover the advantages and disadvantages the use of bermudagrass provides at your facility.
The football track will culminate with a tour of Neyland Stadium, Upper Hudson, and the Indoor Facility.
The baseball track is as follows:
• Improving your Infield Skin – Dr. Jim Brosnan will discuss the necessary maintenance practices to improve the performance and safety of skinned infield soils on baseball fields.
• Challenges in Skinned Infield Maintenance – Jesse Pritchard, CSFM, will discuss the challenges of managing skinned infield surfaces on natural turf fields.
• Skinned Infield Maintenance for Softball – Darrell Denney will present the best management practices for skinned infield surfaces on softball fields. He will provide a comparison to infields commonly used for baseball fields.
• Skinned Infield Construction and Maintenance at all Levels – Bill Marbet will discuss the differences between professional fields and recreational fields regarding soil selection and construction of skinned infield areas.
The baseball track will culminate with demonstrations and a tour of Lindsey Stadium.
Register today for the Regional Conference and don’t miss these valuable educational opportunities! If you are a national STMA member, you can register online on your member homepage. If you are not a national STMA member, click here to access the brochure for the registration form.
CEUs and Pesticide Recertification Credits Approved
The STMA Southeastern Regional Conference and Trade show has been approved for CEUs and pesticide recertification credits.
Pesticide recertification credits have been approved for North Carolina, Kentucky, South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. Pesticide recertification credits are pending for Tennessee.
North Carolina – 1.5 hours credit
Kentucky – 5 total general hours
South Carolina – 2 Category 3 Recertification Credits
Georgia – 2 credit hours
Virginia – recertification in category 3-B (24) and 60 (60)
CEUs have been approved for STMA, National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA), Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association (TNLA), and Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). CEUs are pending for American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).
STMA – 0.6 CEUs
NRPA – 0.6 CEUs
TNLA – 1 point
GCSAA – .45 Education Points
You must be in attendance both days to receive credit. Make sure to visit with Kristen Althouse onsite to sign in and receive appropriate credits for your organization or state.
The STMA Southeastern Regional Conference and Trade Show, June 15-16, has an exciting lineup of educational opportunities. To access the brochure, click here.