 |
|||
|
News from the American Sports Builders Association January 2019 |
|||
|
FROM THE CHAIR 2019 Is Looking Bright Last month we experienced yet another record-breaking crowd (almost 700 attendees) at ASBA’s Technical Meeting in Scottsdale. I’d like to thank all of you attendees, volunteer speakers and ASBA staff for helping to pull off another fantastic event. Aside from the seemingly well received networking opportunities and technical content, the most impressive aspect of the meeting was the resounding theme of enthusiasm and optimism surrounding our industry. I think most of us are coming off of a strong 2018 – and with solid backlogs and interest heading into the new year, 2019 looks promising! DETAILS MEETINGS Winter Meeting 2019: An Opportunity to Renew Your Commitment to the Industry
The ASBA Winter Meeting, to be held February 22-24, 2019 in the Dominican Republic, is perhaps the most productive use of a few days in the off-season you’re likely to come across. (And if it’s not the off-season where you live, you should still take a break, knowing it’s the kind that will pay dividends.) Spend a few days at this meeting and you’ll not only come home refreshed and ready to face a new season, but you’ll have taken advantage of a great opportunity to renew your commitment to the sports facility industry. The meeting includes opportunities to do the actual work of the Association: attend division meetings, develop ideas for Technical Meeting presentations, contribute content to ASBA’s publications, frame ideas for position papers and work on other projects that help move ASBA forward. And that’s what gets done in morning sessions. After sessions let out for the day, attendees are free to explore our host resort, the Paradisus Palma Real. Our host property is an all-inclusive, full-service resort, has not only an excellent beachfront location but plenty of options for your spare time, including nearly a dozen varied restaurants, a spa, pool, the 18-hole Cocotal Golf Course, tennis courts and plenty of other amenities. But there’s plenty of time to explore those. For now, just make sure you have blocked out the dates of February 22-24. More information will be forthcoming. Regional Meeting – Come on Down to Atlanta! ASBA is holding its annual Regional Meeting on March 6-7 of this year. And this time, we’re moving to the great Southeast, to one of the country’s most accessible cities by air: Atlanta, Georgia. This year’s meeting, to be held at the Doubletree by Hilton Atlanta Marietta, will include all the networking, education and on-site, hands-on learning you’ve come to expect. You won’t want to miss the tours of some excellent sports facilities, including the ASBA’s Single Field of the Year award winner, Atlanta Braves SunTrust Park. There are also plenty of other great opportunities to learn, connect and enjoy. Our two-day format means a smaller time commitment and the convenient location means you’ll be able to find a flight to get there. Want more information? Reach out to us at 866-501-ASBA (2722) or www.sportsbuilders.org. Didn’t Go to the Technical Meeting? Here’s What You Missed… If you didn’t make the 2018 Technical Meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona, we won’t give you a hard time. But we would like you to know what you missed out on. Here’s a quick recap. DETAILS Want an Overview of the Technical Sessions in Scottsdale? Here are a Few… One of the most valuable aspects of the ASBA Technical Meeting is, without a doubt, the program. And this year, nearly 700 industry members showed up to hear the sessions, presented on a variety of topics, from tennis to track to fields to court and rec, even to business management information. The good news? The PowerPoint presentations of these sessions are already up on ASBA’s website. And since it was impossible to be everywhere at once, it’s understandable that there were a few sessions you might have wanted to see – but couldn’t, because you were in another session you wanted to see. To look up sessions, go to the ASBA website at www.sportsbuilders.org, then mouse over to the top toolbar tab that says Events. Click on that and the fourth item on the drop-down menu will be Technical Meeting Presentations. In fact, presentations dating all the way back to 2003 are included so you can browse to your heart’s content. In the meantime, here are a few selections from the 2018 Technical Meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona. DETAILS Photos Available from 2018 Technical Meeting Click here to view and download photos from ASBA's recent Technical Meeting. Call for Presentations for 2019 Technical Meeting ASBA has issued an invitation to submit proposals for sessions at the annual ASBA Technical Meeting to be held on December 6-9 in Orlando, Florida. We are looking for proposals for the following divisions:
Where in the World is ASBA?
ASBA Winter Meeting
ASBA Regional Meeting ASBA Supports World of Asphalt 2019 We proudly support World of Asphalt 2019. Indianapolis is open for business and this show is the place to do it. Join us at the show in Indianapolis, IN, February 12-14. Register now to receive the discounted rate! https://www.worldofasphalt.com/exhibit/register/ ASBA Elects New Officers and Directors One of the first orders of business at ASBA’s most recent Technical Meeting was the announcement of the election of new members of its Board of Directors. If you weren’t there, here’s a recap. DETAILS ASBA Welcomes New Director of Education The American Sports Builders Association would like to welcome Kaylee E. Derby into the newly formed position of Director of Education. The Board of Directors have identified a need for this positon to help carry out the goals of the strategic plan. Kaylee comes to us with many years of education and association experience. DETAILS ASBA Announces Game Changer Award Winners A lot happened at the most recent Technical Meeting in Scottsdale, including the announcement of the winners of ASBA’s inaugural Game Changer awards. The Game Changer Awards allowed attendees at the Technical Meeting to learn about nominated products and services in the ASBA Exhibit Hall, and to vote using the ASBA 2018 Technical Meeting mobile app for those they thought best exemplified excellence and innovation in the industry. Winners
were as follows: In Memoriam: Meghan Taylor, Longtime ASBA Member It is with tremendous sadness that ASBA announces the unfortunate October 13 passing of one of its long serving members, Meghan Taylor. Meg’s genuine kindness and warmth will be missed very much by all who knew her and we thank her for her contributions and dedication to the athletic construction industry, her clients, peers and friends. Below is a website link to The Taylor Girls’ Education Fund; started to help Meg’s two (2) daughters fund their continuing education which people are donating to in lieu of other gifts: https://www.gofundme.com/meghan039s-girls-education-fund ASBA sends its sympathies to Meghan’s family, as well as her co-workers at Sportsfield Specialties, who supported her through her battle with the illness, and who are missing her tremendously in their day- to-day work. ASBA Announces Winners of Annual Awards ASBA honored its award winners at the Technical Meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona. Awards honored excellence in design and construction of sports venues in several categories. . DETAILS ON THE BOOKSHELF The New Fields Book: Here’s a Preview The ASBA’s publication, Sports Fields: A Construction & Maintenance Manual, is one of the most popular publications on the bookshelf. And right now, it’s under review as the Fields Book Committee prepares to edit the newest version. The new book, which will be ready in time for the 2020 Technical Meeting, will include expanded information on field usage as well as end of life issues, recycling and sustainability. Count on even more information on alternative infills as well as information on alternative colors for fields. The committee is chaired by John Nelson (Peacock Services, LLC, Fort Myers, Florida) and includes a wide range of members, including builders, design professionals and suppliers. The committee welcomes the interest of anyone who would like to contribute in any area of the book, which includes information on both natural and synthetic fields. Reach out to ASBA headquarters and let them know of your interest, and they’ll be glad to pass the information to the correct individuals. In addition, ASBA will be putting out a call for advertisers to appear in the book. This is an excellent chance to showcase your company to potential field owners as well as current facility owners, administrators, coaches, builders, architects and engineers as well as others in the industry. And since the book is available in both hard copy and as a pdf, it is able to be used easily at the jobsite, where plenty of end users can see your ad. More details will be available soon. ASBA's Full Library
ASBA’s technical publications,
including popular and
well-regarded Construction and
Maintenance Manual series, are
constantly being updated. We
invite you to make sure you have
the most updated issues.
DETAILS Certification: Make it Your Goal This Year If you promised yourself that this was the year you’d pursue your CTCB, CFB or CTB certification, it’s time to start putting those wheels in motion. All the information on certification is available on ASBA’s website, under the tab for “Certification” at the top of ASBA’s home page, www.sportsbuilders.org. Note that you must fill out all forms in advance in order to sit for the test. The deadline for application is 30 days prior to each test.
The next times the exam
will be given is as follows (inquire about specific times): ASBA’s Golf, Tennis and Pickleball Tournaments: A Winning Combination While ASBA members are known for checking their competitive instincts at the door and ‘playing nice’ at the Technical Meeting, that doesn’t include the times they head out to challenge one another on the links or on the courts. At that point, all bets are off and the competition is fierce. You made a bad shot? Prepare to be heckled. You won? Prepare to be congratulated (and know there will be plenty of people itching for payback next time). But at the end of the day, all participants still enjoy themselves, still have the chance to unwind and still have great stories to tell.
ASBA was fortunate to
have excellent sponsors for each event this year. Our golf tournament
was sponsored by Liberty Tire and our Tennis Tournament was sponsored by
California Sports Surfaces. And this year, we hosted our inaugural
Pickleball Demo and Tournament – also sponsored by California Sports
Surfaces. Thanks to our great sponsors and congratulations to the
following winners:
1st Place Team: 58 (-13) INDUSTRY NEWS
2019 Track Rules Changes –
NFHS and NCAA The 2019 NFHS and 2019-2020 NCAA track rule books are now available. The rule changes and clarifications this year are particularly significant in their effect on our industry. Some of these changes will need to be clarified as they are conflicting and confusing. IAAF and USATF also had some significant changes, which we’ll touch upon herein, but the focus of this article is the NFHS and NCAA books. This article is not intended to be totally comprehensive but is meant to alert our members to the changes and question the verbiage in some of them. This would be a very good year to purchase updated rules book for all of the governing bodies. There are important changes in each book and we all know that these changes tend to “trickle down” from IAAF to NCAA to NFHS with time. DETAILS McConnell & Associates Honored as Tennis Court Contractor of the Year One of the highlights of the closing dinner of the Technical Meeting is the presentation of annual awards. One of those, the Tennis Industry Magazine Tennis Court Builder/Contractor of the Year Award, was presented to McConnell & Associates Corp. of Kansas City, Missouri. McConnell & Associates, a longtime member of the Association and a contractor with a regional focus on the Midwest, has been actively involved in volunteer activities for the ASBA, and has had various construction projects honored by the Association in its annual awards program. Additionally, McConnell & Associates has numerous individuals on staff who have successfully completed the ASBA’s voluntary certification program, earning the designation of Certified Tennis Court Builder (CTCB). The company has four locations: three in Missouri (Kansas City, St. Louis and Pevely) and one in Wichita, Kansas. It has been in business since 1965 and is still family-owned and operated. Its work includes not only tennis courts but running tracks and other sports and recreational facilities. McConnell & Associates will be featured in the January 2019 issue of Tennis Industry, along with other companies recognized for their contributions to the industry, with the title of “Champions of Tennis.” Tennis Industry is the world’s largest tennis trade magazine. MEMBER NEWS Memberline The latest news from ASBA members. DETAILS ASBA Welcomes New Members ASBA welcomes nine members that joined the association since we published our last newsletter. DETAILS ASBA Announces New Certified BuildersASBA has certified six new builders since we published our last newsletter. DETAILS ASBA Mobile App Available on iTunes, Google
ASBA now has its own mobile app
(ASBA Diagram Showcase), available through the iTunes and Google stores,
free of charge. The app contains a sampling of technical diagrams from
our construction and maintenance manuals – including Tennis, Running
Tracks, Sports Fields, Courts & Recreation and Pickleball. Click on image below for larger version to see details.
ASBA's Position Papers: We Need Your Expertise! And the nominees are … your project, if you decide to enter ASBA’s awards program. This year’s program is now accepting entries, meaning it’s time for you to nominate that project you want recognized. DETAILS Got Your Certification? Help Keep it up by Writing Technical Articles for Newsline ASBA offers its Certified Builders two options for keeping their designation current. The first is the option to take the exam again. The second, however, includes an opportunity to benefit the industry itself: recertification by acquiring continuing education points. This includes writing technical articles for Newsline. DETAILS ASBA Certificate of Distinction Program: Are You Aware of It? ASBA currently offers two Certificates of Distinction, one for Design Professionals and one for Supplier Companies. Both differ from certification in that they do not require members to pass a test, nor are they a credential that is awarded. However, they do recognize commitment and dedication to the Association and the industry. The Design Professional Certificate of Distinction program provides professionals a distinction by illustrating the individual’s commitment and dedication to the tennis, track, fields and indoor facility construction industry through involvement with ASBA and related organizations and the completion of built projects. The Supplier Certificate of Distinction program is designed to recognize those ASBA Supplier Division Member Companies that contribute to and share in the betterment of the ASBA. ASBA Supplier Division Member Companies that meet and/or exceed the participation goals and requirements will receive this recognition, which must be renewed on an annual basis and ASBA Supplier Division Member Companies must meet the minimum total qualifying point requirement every year to maintain their recognition. To learn more about each Certificate of Distinction program, go to www.sportsbuilders.org. May We Quote You? One strong benefit of ASBA membership is the fact that ASBA is recognized as a technical leader in the industry. Want proof? Articles written on behalf of ASBA, and quoting ASBA members, are everywhere. Just as an example, you’ll find ASBA’s articles in the following publications:
In addition, ASBA has been contacted by other publications, including Athletic Business, when writers and editors are seeking an industry expert. ASBA being recognized as an industry expert is outstanding, since that great reputation extends to our members as well. In addition, members’ participation in these articles can heighten their profile.
Want to see what ASBA has
been up to? Head on over to the website,
www.sportsbuilders.org, and click on the tab on the top that says
“Press Room.” A drop-down menu will offer multiple choices including
options such as Track Articles, Tennis Articles, Fields Articles and
Indoor Articles. Click on the ones you want to view. Get Social with ASBA ASBA continues its journey into social media. You can find us… On Facebook: Just look up our page under (what else?) American Sports Builders Association. Like the page in order to get all the updates. On Twitter: ASBA’s Twitter handle is @SportsBuilders – make sure you follow ASBA in order to get the latest on upcoming meetings, deadlines, new programs, publications and more. On LinkedIn: ASBA has a group, listed under American Sports Builders Association. Be sure you’re following us in all the social media you use. © 2019 American
Sports Builders Association
|
The Latest News from ASBA Here's the latest news from ASBA. You can find a Newswire archive on ASBA's web site. Let us know what you think of the online newsletter. Send your comments or article ideas to Cynthia Sanchez. Calendar of Events For information on any of the meetings shown below, call ASBA at 866-501-ASBA, e-mail info@sportsbuilders.org or visit ASBA's web site.
Nov. 30 - Dec. 4, 2018
February 22-24, 2019
Information on the ASBA Technical Meetings and Winter Meetings will be sent out automatically to all ASBA members. Non-members should request information by contacting ASBA. ASBA Leadership
Chairman
Directors ASBA Staff Executive Director
Associate Director
Director of Meetings/ Member Services
Director of Education
Membership Services
Financial Manager
Legal Counsel ASBA Sponsors Diamond Sponsor
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
|
||
As
part of our continuing effort to promote ASBA as an industry resource in
sports construction issues, following are some of the upcoming events at
which ASBA will have a presence:
