SFMA IN ACTION
Chapter Field Days + Summer Learning
Throughout the country, SFMA chapters are making the most of the spring and summer season by bringing members together for field days, facility tours, equipment demonstrations, golf outings and hands-on education. These events give sports field managers the opportunity to step away from their own facilities, see new practices in action, connect with peers and return home with practical ideas they can apply immediately.
This season’ s chapter activity reflects the strength of SFMA’ s local network. From synthetic turf maintenance and robotic mowing demonstrations to sprayer calibration, facility tours and peer-to-peer problem solving, chapters are creating valuable learning opportunities that support safer, more playable and better maintained sports fields.
MID-ATLANTIC SFMA: SPRING SUCCESS AND A SUMMER FIELD DAY PREVIEW The Mid-Atlantic Sports Field Management Association( MASFMA) kicked off the season with a successful spring event at Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area on March 5. MASFMA thanked members, sponsors, speakers and guests for helping create a high-energy day of connection and learning. The chapter also recognized John McDonogh School Stadium as the 2026 DMV MVP Sports Field of the Year and celebrated its 2026 Turfgrass Scholarship Award winner, Mason Tredinnick.
MASFMA will continue the momentum with its Summer Field Day on June 10 at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Maryland. The agenda includes field demonstrations on robotic mowers, GPS-guided line painting, sprayer equipment, turfgrass playability and safety evaluation, and natural and synthetic surface maintenance. The event will also feature a welcome from SFMA CEO Paula Sliefert and SFMA Manager of Member Programs Leah Craig, giving attendees a national perspective on SFMA’ s goals and chapter support.
The hands-on sessions are designed to help attendees evaluate how new technologies and field assessment tools can fit into daily operations. Topics include robotic mowers and sprayers, sports turf quality and safety testing, line painting practices at a high-use soccer facility, and synthetic turf evaluation and maintenance. Sponsor booths and demonstrations, followed by lunch and networking, round out the day.
VIRGINIA SFMA: BEHIND THE SCENES AT CARMAX PARK The Virginia Sports Field Management Association hosted its Field & Demo Day on May 14 at CarMax Park in Richmond. The event provided members with a behind-the-scenes look at the new facility and a practical agenda focused on field preparation, calibration and weed management.
Sessions included“ From the Ground Up: Behind the Scenes of CarMax Park” with James Petrella and team, building and stencil application with the Thomas Dale High School Student Turfgrass Team, sprayer and spreader calibration with Adam Nichols of Virginia Tech HR AREC, and an herbicide and weed of interest presentation. The event also offered approved VDACS recertification credit.
The program highlighted the value of learning directly on the field. Attendees had the opportunity to see how a professional facility prepares for use, how students are being introduced to sports field management skills, and how calibration and weed management practices support field safety and consistency.
NEW JERSEY SFMA: SPRING FIELD DAY AND TURFGRASS RESEARCH The Sports Field Managers Association of New Jersey( SFMANJ) held its Spring Field Day on April 15 at Ginty Park in Morris Township, New Jersey. The event was hosted by Tim Hamfeldt of Morris Township and included continuing education credits in several categories, including 3A, 8C, PP2, 10 and fertilizer.
SFMANJ also promoted the Rutgers Turfgrass Research Golf Classic on May 4 at Fiddler’ s Elbow Country
8 SportsField Management | June 2026 sportsfieldmanagementonline. com