Opening Session

Industry Update From 2024 STMA President

Sun Roesslein, SFMA President

Keynote Speaker

Nathan Whitaker, Author

Soul of a Team

For most people, succeeding in life requires mastering the art of teamwork. Whether at work, school, church, or home, virtually everyone is part of a team―and when they work well, teams can accomplish more than individuals working by themselves.

Eric Holland

2026 FIFA World Cup Planning & Design

Take a deep dive into the preparations and maintenance of Copa America @ AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX during the summer of 2024. This includes design and execution as we move forward to the FIFA requirements as a host site for the 2026 World Cup.

Mike Goatley

Problem Solving for the Sports Field Manager

Problems in sports field management arise in a variety of situations and vary often, the key to solving the problem is knowing the right question(s) to ask in diagnosing the problem.

Dr Gerald Henry
Testing Sports Field Safety and Performance

Safety and performance are at the forefront of sports field management. New research has aimed at utilizing athletes with wearable sensors to more accurately describe “real-time” interactions between players and field attributes both in the lab and in the field.

Blaise Restifo

Fear the Tree – Stanford Athletics Field Management

Learn about field management practices from the west coast. Outside events, continuous field usage, and limited budgets. How we provide Stanford Athletics with quality playing surfaces.

Kyley Dickson

Research for the World Cup and beyond

Stadium research projects in preparation for indoor and outdoor environments for the World Cup. Specifically looking at ball to surface and player to surface interactions. An overview of testing and how it will impact playing surfaces for the tournament. Additionally, this talk will cover the most effective use of pesticides in indoor environments.

David Jesperson

Abiotic Stresses in Turfgrass

Pesticide Credit Pending Approval

Common abiotic stresses in turfgrasses, including shade, water stress, and compaction. This will include how environmental stresses damage plants, how plants respond to these stresses, and ultimately how management practices influence stress responses.

Lisa Goatley

Stress Management

Sports field managers face a multitude of stressors in their professional lives. Stressors arise from the expectations of your supervisors, players, and coaches; uncooperative weather conditions; budget and labor limitations; long and uncertain hours; and family demands creating conflicting priorities. You chose this career because you have a passion for the field. Don’t let stress interfere with your ability to have a long and satisfying career.