20 of 39 Sports Turf Managers Association Welcomes Two Australian Organizations to International Affiliate Organization Program

SOURCE: Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA)

(LAWRENCE, Kan.) – Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) – the organization for 2,700 men and women professionals overseeing sports fields worldwide and critical to athlete safety – announces the addition of two organizations, the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association (ASTMA) and Sports Turf Australia (STA), to their International Affiliate Organization Program.

Formed in 1981, the ASTMA is a not-for-profit industry association formerly known as the Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association. Boasting more than 1,500 members from all areas of the industry including racetracks, lawn tennis and equipment technology, the association strives to ensure that constant improvements in professional sports field management are achieved in a safe, responsible and environmentally responsible manner.

“The affiliation between the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association and Sports Turf Managers Association is a powerful combination,” said ASTMA CEO Mark Unwin. “STMA’s understanding of the complex environment of professional sportsfield management, widespread knowledge and expertise combined with their collaborative approach is uniquely complimentary to how the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association operates and we believe this will strengthen our ability to develop the next generation of sports field managers.”

STA nurtures fields of all sports and positions themselves as an association of people, industry and organizations participating and employed in the sports and leisure field industry. Similar to the ASTMA, the STA is a not-for-profit national association who empowers their members by encouraging advancement of skills, identifying best practices, providing networking and educational opportunities and promoting safety in the workplace.

“We have a healthy industry association delivering a terrific standard of playing fields for football, soccer, racing, golf, cricket and the myriad of other turf field sports,” said STA President Chris Chapman. “It is imperative we advance the skills and learning across the industry for today and tomorrow.  Our linking with STMA reflects our initiatives of sharing our skills, innovations and knowledge.”

“We are very pleased to add these well-respected Australian associations to our International Affiliate program, says Kim Heck, CAE, CEO of STMA. “Our goal with this program is to share information and resources so that we create a connected global community of sports field managers.”

In the summer of 2009, the STMA Board of Directors established an International Affiliate Organization status to recognize international groups of sports field managers. This category was developed to formalize collaboration between STMA and international organizations and will allow this relationship to operate in the spirit of an STMA chapter, but without the legal complexities of affiliating with STMA. Thus, STMA has created International Affiliate Organizations for groups that reside in countries outside of the U.S. and its territories. Each IAOP member-organization is provided a complimentary STMA membership and granted member pricing for their entire memberships on all STMA offerings including conference registration and certification.

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About STMA

STMA is the non-profit, professional association for men and women who manage sports fields worldwide. Since 1981, it has provided education, information and practical knowledge in the art and science of sports field management. More than 2,700 members across 32 local chapters oversee facilities at schools, colleges and universities, parks and recreational facilities, and professional sports stadiums. Sports include football, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, softball, rugby and horse racing.