Because a few men believed that sports turf could be improved through the sharing of knowledge and the exchange of ideas, the Sports Turf Managers Association was officially formed in 1981.
The key leaders in the STMA's infancy were Harry "Pops" Gill (deceased), Milwaukee County Stadium; Dr. William Daniel (deceased), Professor Emeritus, Purdue University; Dick Ericson, Minneapolis Metrodome, and George Toma (NFL).
After sharing the office, executive secretary and conference facilities of the National Institute of Parks & Grounds Management in Appleton, Wisconsin, for three years, the sixty STMA members decided to venture into independence in November 1984.
The Board of Directors, led by their newly elected President, David Frey, appointed the Association's first Executive Director, Dr. Kent W. Kurtz, Professor of Turfgrass & Ornamental Horticulture at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona. In 1985, the Association incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation and began a quarterly newsletter. STMA established a national office in Upland, California, during the spring of 1987. The first national conference in 1986 was held in conjunction with that of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, as were the annual meetings in 1987 and 1988.
STMA names MSU's Spartan Stadium top collegiate football field
EAST LANSING, MI — The Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) named Michigan State University's Spartan Stadium the top collegiate football field for 2005. MSU Sports Turf Manager Amy Fouty will accept the award at the annual STMA Conference and Exhibition in January. Fouty is the first woman to receive the award in the collegiate football category.
"We are pleased and extremely proud to have the Spartan Stadium field recognized with this award," said Greg Ianni, senior associate athletics director. "It is not just an athletic department honor, but one the entire university can embrace as it represents the successful adaptation of a technology developed at Michigan State. This is a fitting tribute to the field designers, Dr. Trey Rogers and Dr. Jim Crum, professors in the Department of Crop and Soil Science, as well as Field Manager Amy Fouty, CSFM, who has brought the field to award-winning status."
"There were so many groups who helped make this happen," said Fouty. "From turf management to soil science to students to athletics. President Lou Anna K. Simon and Vice President Fred Poston were also instrumental in making this happen. It's great when academics and athletics can work together to achieve something like this."
MSU's Spartan Field. Natural grass returned to Spartan Stadium in 2002 after a 33-year absence, with the installation of a modular field. The new playing surface, planted in May of 2001 at MSU's Hancock Turfgrass Research Center, is comprised of a blend of nine varieties of Kentucky bluegrass. Image courtesy Amy Fouty, CSFM.
The STMA Field of the Year Award program recognizes excellence in field management for three categories: professional, collegiate, and school/parks. Under each category, five field types are recognized: baseball, football, soccer, softball and athletic complex. The complete list of 2005 winners is available now on the STMA Web site.
STMA will present the awards at its Awards Banquet on Friday, Jan. 20 in Orlando, FL.