John Kmitta Associate Publisher / Editorial Brand Director jkmitta @ epgmediallc . com 763-383-4405

During the past year and a half , I have had some great phone and Zoom conversations with industry professionals . But after more than a year without travel , I am looking forward to getting back to in-person events this fall and winter . The opportunity to network face to face , learn from industry professionals , and see the latest products and equipment in person is invaluable . And there is a lot to look forward to .

Foremost is the 2022 STMA Conference and Exhibition in Savannah , Ga . ( January 17-20 ), and STMA recently announced the plan for the General Session ( Tuesday , January 18 from 8-9:30 a . m . ET ). According to STMA , a panel of experts will discuss the labor shortages affecting the industry , including the following trends :

Seasoned sports field managers are pursuing positions on the commercial side .

Fewer young people are pursing turfgrass science as a career path in college .

Fewer interns are available to gain on-the-job experience .

The pool of qualified job candidates is shrinking for employers trying to hire .

According to STMA , Moderator Keith Winter , head groundskeeper for the Fort Wayne TinCaps , will lead the discussion , and will add insight from his own experiences .

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Publisher ’ s Notice : We Assume No Responsibility For The Validity Of Claims In Connection With Items Appearing In SportsField Mangagement .

SportsField Management ( ISSN PENDING ) ( USPS 000-292 ) ( Reg . U . S . Pat . & T . M . Off .) is published monthly by EPG Media & Specialty Information at PO Box 96 , Port Jervis , NY 12771 .

Postmaster : Send address changes to SportsField Management , PO Box 2123 , Skokie , IL 60076-7823 . For subscription information and requests , call Subscription Services at ( 763 ) 383-4492 . Subscription rates : 1 year , $ 40 US & Poss .; 2 years , $ 65 US & Poss .; 1 year , $ 65 Canada / Foreign Surface , 1 year , $ 130 Airmail . All subscriptions are payable in advance in US funds .

Send payments to SportsField Management , PO Box 2123 , Skokie , IL 60076-7823 . Phone : ( 847 ) 763-9565 . Fax : ( 847 ) 763-9569 . Single copies or back issues , $ 8 each US / Canada ; $ 12 Foreign . Periodicals postage paid at Port Jervis , NY and additional mailing offices . COPYRIGHT 2020 , SportsField Management . Material may not be reproduced or photocopied in any form without the written permission of the publisher . Dr . John Sorochan , distinguished professor at University of Tennessee , will address the decreasing rate of enrollment in turfgrass science programs at the collegiate level and some strategies to attract young people to the field . Abby McNeal , CSFM , CPRP , CABI , field superintendent , city wide operations for Denver Parks and Recreation , will discuss unique ways she has been balancing the labor shortage . Andrew Miller , program director for Brentsville Turfgrass Management Program , will discuss his recruitment and retention strategies at the high school level . And Tyler Bloom , owner of Tyler Bloom Consulting , will discuss opportunities available in the industry that provide training to prepare individuals to enter the sports field management profession .

In addition to the STMA Conference , I will also be at GIE + EXPO in Louisville this October , which , in addition to the trade show and outdoor demo area , will also feature NALP ’ s LANDSCAPES conference and the 2021 PGMS School of Grounds Management Annual Conference .

Other upcoming events of interest include NCS4 ’ s 12th Annual National Sports Safety and Security Conference & Exhibition ( page 34 ) and the Synthetic Turf Council 2021 Annual Membership Meeting ( page 42 ). SFM

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SportsField Management | September 2021 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com