The Sports Turf Managers Association has just released a 20-page members-only Advocacy Manual that aims to assist those in the sports field industry with community and state government public policy advocacy efforts, both proactive and reactive. The online toolkit – requested by association membership to address potential regulations/initiatives affecting issues those who manage sports fields – approaches this complex issue with a common sense approach to identifying issues, creating relationships with lawmakers, building coalitions, establishing meeting protocols with lawmakers, and communicating with the press.
“STMA’s mission centers around educating and enriching our membership,” said STMA Chief Executive Officer Kimberly Heck. “Our members-only Advocacy Manual, as with so many of our most successful initiatives, arose out of a very specific need, one articulated to us by our membership. We are excited to now offer this resource for those STMA members who might be looking for some guidance in this area.”
The STMA Advocacy Manual was created as a complete turnkey tool kit for those involved in sports field management. As stated in the manual, advocacy is “…any action taken to influence public policy. It can take many different forms, but the end goal is always to persuade lawmakers to take actions that are beneficial to your group or organization. Letter writing, phone calls, in-person visits, media relations, public awareness campaigns, giving public testimony, conducting and sharing research, and lobbying are all forms of political advocacy.”
Some sample sections of the manual include:
Effective Proactive Advocacy
Identifying Advocacy Priorities
Communicating with Lawmakers – Phone calls, letters and emails
Communicating with Lawmakers – Meetings
Anatomy of a Lawmaker Meeting
Communicating with Lawmakers – More ways to build relationships
Working with Alliances and Coalitions
Communicating with the Media
Social Media and Advocacy
Hiring a Lobbyist
The STMA Advocacy Manual can be found in the “Knowledge Center” (Members Only) under the “Environmental Stewardship” tab.
STMA has also produced a comprehensive list of Environmental Regulations that Affect Sports Fields (in the Members Only “Knowledge Center” section under the “Environmental Stewardship” tab) to help sports field managers stay in compliance with their state’s requirements. The document includes state/federal laws and regulations covering pesticide and fertilizer licensing/certification, pesticide and fertilizer use, school IPM, integrated pest management, and water use and quality topics. These specific areas were researched and included for their applicability to the management of sports fields.