7:30 - 8:00 a.m. Registration

8:00 - 8:15 a.m. Welcome and VSFMA Annual Meeting Will Cole, VSFMA President

8:15 - 8:20 a.m. VSFMA Field of the Year Awards: Professional Sports Facility

8:20 - 9:15 a.m. Optimizing investment, environmental impact, and user health of community level sports fields Dr. Chase Straw

This presentation will provide an overview of a research proposal to be submitted to the USDA titled "Optimizing Investment, Environmental Impact, and User Health of Community-Level Sports Fields." The proposal aims to explore innovative management practices and decision-making tools for natural turfgrass, synthetic turf, and hybrid turf systems at the community level, including K–12 schools and parks and recreation facilities. Project objectives include developing a nationwide data collection system, evaluating economic and environmental impacts, and assessing human health outcomes. The presentation will highlight the proposed methodologies and their potential to generate science-based information that supports informed decision-making for the construction and management of these vital community spaces.

Dr. Chase Straw earned his B.S. in Turfgrass Science from the University of Kentucky, where he gained experience managing sports fields at both the collegiate (University of Kentucky) and professional (Boston RedSox and Cincinnati Bengals) levels. He then obtained M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Georgia. After two years as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Minnesota, he became an Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Management and Physiology at Texas A&M University in February 2020. After nearly five years at Texas A&M, Chase joined the Penn State University Turfgrass Program in January 2025 as Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Soils and Director of the Center for Sports Surface Research. He holds a 40% research, 40% teaching, and 20% extension role. His research focuses on technology-driven strategies to enhance golf courses and sports fields. Currently, he also serves as the Academic Director on the Sports Field Management Association's Board of Directors.

9:15 - 9:35 a.m. Break / Trade Show Open

9:35 – 9:40 a.m. VSFMA Field of the Year Awards: College/University

9:40 - 10:35 a.m. FIFA World Cup 2026: Behind the Scenes Ryan Bearss

Ryan Bearss has been both a student and researcher in the Turfgrass industry for 12 years with practical and research experience in the LCO sector, weeds, general and golf turf management, sod production, and most recently, sports field systems.  Ryan earned his master's degree from Michigan State University in 2020 and will complete his PhD in spring of 2026 where after, he hopes to continue his research.  

10:35 – 10:55 am: Break / Trade Show Open

10:55 - 11:00am: VSFMA Field of the Year Awards: Parks & Recreation

11:00 - 11:55 a.m. Quantifying the Impact of Field Variability on Surface Performance and Athlete Ava Veith

Ava Veith will present her master’s research, which includes three integrated projects exploring how variability in athletic field conditions affects surface performance and athlete response. The first two studies focus on hybrid bermudagrass fields, aiming to quantify how common issues such as spring dead spot and winter injury influence surface performance, as well as ball- and athlete-surface interactions. The third study broadens the scope to examine variability within and between both natural and synthetic turf surfaces. In this study, athletes performed sport-specific drills while equipped with wearable technology and completed surveys to evaluate how different surface characteristics impact performance and perception. Together, these studies quantify the impact of surface variability on field performance, the athlete, and perceptions of field quality. Ava is a former Division I women’s soccer player and a current master’s student at Virginia Tech, where her research focuses on how variability in athletic field conditions impacts athlete safety and performance. This past summer, she worked with the KC Current professional women’s soccer team as their Playing Surface Data Technician. Passionate about bridging athletics and research, Ava plans to pursue a Ph.D. and build a career dedicated to helping field managers make data-driven decisions that improve surface consistency and safety.

11:55 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. VSFMA Field of the Year Awards: K-12 Schools

12:00 p.m. Thank you and Conclusion Will Cole

Lunch / Trade Show Open until 1 p.m.