Training, Training, and More Training

I was watching my boys practice for their flag football teams last weekend, and I noted how far they have come from their first involvement with the sport. They are beginning to understand the nuances of their pass routes, and they are getting much more adept at catching the football. It is amazing how their coaches have been able to hone the boys’ skills through the drills and training that they provide in practice. I am filled with anticipation for the upcoming season as I know their development will continue throughout.

In the same fashion that my boys’ coaches provide training for them, GCSAA provides training for our members to help them fine tune their skills. We have live and on-demand webcasts that can be utilized from the comfort and convenience of one’s office. Coming up in San Antonio in February, we have the Super Bowl of education events at the 2015 Golf Industry Show.

The GCSAA Education Conference at GIS is the largest education event in the industry and covers all aspects of golf course management, including agronomics, environmental management, communication and business management. In San Antonio, there will be 84 seminars, including 26 new seminars joining the line-up, as well as a variety of new education sessions and the always-popular education on the trade show floor: Answers on the Hour and Tech Tips on the Half.

Why is all this training so important? Just like my boys' flag football efforts, the GCSAA education that you or your assistants or your technicians participate in helps to build a more complete team. The stronger the individuals are, the better the team as a whole will function. On a number of occasions my boys have played against another team with one super stud player but the rest of the team is not of the same caliber, and the results typically end up with us defeating the other team. I've heard their coach say that if you can draft three or four key players that you can go a long way in the league.

The same is true for the golf course maintenance department. With a quality group of key individuals, you can go a long way to successfully achieving your goals. Obviously, the team needs a strong superintendent to lead them. But it is also critical to have well-trained and complimentary individuals supporting the superintendent in the positions of assistant superintendent, equipment manager and the other technicians on staff. If these key positions can come together as a cohesive unit and assist in training the rest of the individuals in the department, then you as the superintendent may well be on your way to success. Training, training, and more training at each level of your team helps ensure the quality standards you have set are met.

GCSAA can provide the educational offerings that will strengthen the team at your facilities. We are hopeful that you, the members, will see the benefit of being an inclusive association that provides for the training of all your key individuals and thus making your team solid at every position. 

Now let’s go out there and win one for the Gipper!