STMA Advocacy Manual

The Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA), founded in 1981 provides education and information about the science of sports field management. Their 2,600 members oversee sports fields and facilities at schools, colleges and universities, parks and recreational facilities, and professional sports stadiums.

The Sports Turfgrass Managers Association (STMA) released a 20-page (members-only) Advocacy Manual to assist those in the sports field industry with community and state government public policy advocacy efforts, both proactive and reactive.

The online toolkit addresses potential regulations/initiatives affecting those who manage sports fields and how to identify issues, create relationships with lawmakers, build coalitions, establish meeting protocols with lawmakers, as well as 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."

Sample sections include:
Effective Proactive Advocacy
Identifying Advocacy Priorities

The STMA has also produced a comprehensive list of environmental regulations that affect sports fields 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.

For more information about STMA, please visit stma.org.

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