Thinking of taking your construction and maintenance knowledge to the next level? The opportunity is waiting for you at ASBA's Technical Meeting, when the certification exams will be given. The meeting will be held Dec. 2-5 at the J.W. Marriott Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, California. The exam will be given on Saturday, December 3. (The exam can also be taken at other times by making arrangements directly with ASBA's staff.)

Certification is offered in tennis (the Certified Tennis Court Builder, or CTCB designation), track (Certified Track Builder, CTB) and sports fields. The designation of Certified Field Builder, CFB, indicates a knowledge of both natural and synthetic fields; alternatively, those interested may choose to pursue a designation of CFB-N (Certified Field Builder-Natural) or CFB-S (Certified Field Builder-Synthetic), each indicating a different specialty.

In order to become a certified builder, an individual must meet specific criteria set forth by ASBA; he or she must complete an application that shows he or she has a set amount of sports field construction experience, and then pass a comprehensive exam. In order to retain the designation, an individual must recertify every three years by documenting a sufficient level of continuing education activities in the relevant field or by passing the examination again.

Information on certification, including eligibility forms, application materials, policies, handbooks and more, can be obtained by going to www.sportsbuilders.org. Use the toolbar at the top of the page, select "Certification" (the fourth option from the left) and click on it. Choose the type of certification you are interested in from the options in the drop-down menu. All the materials you need are right there.