Reed Crosson

Sports Facility Management

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Sports Facility Management; Bigger Then Game day

The process of managing sports facilities can be very tedious and lengthy. However, if a manager or administrator can understand the intricate details that are involved, many of the tasks can be delegated thus creating a very enjoyable experience. Now, “facilities management entails a broad array of disciplines including, but not limited to, planning, designing, leasing, space planning, product management, capital management, construction management, property management, and real estate acquisition, planning and disposal” (Fried 24). As one can see by this definition, facilities management goes far beyond the simple “game day” activities. These disciplines are important to every manager but especially a sports facility manager. We are first going to dissect the roles of a sport facility manager and then go through the process creating and managing an actual facility.

Before the roles of a sport facilities director are discussed, it is important to make sure that one does not limited his or her view of a sport facility to that of a school gym or field, “the facility management industry operates in three sectors: private facilities, municipal facilities, and college sections, numerous differences are also apparent” (Parks/Zanger 36). This topic can included health clubs, public parks and recreation centers, and even facilities such as bowling allies. With this in mind, a sport facility manager has the role of controlling and monitoring many of the activities that go on within a sport facility. On page 26 of Gil Fried’s book, he talks about many of these activities including, “planning all facility activities, develop work schedules, control schedules, being knowledgeable about the different aspects of the building, and even focus on budgeting, accounting, and economic forecasting.” A sport facility manager’s main goal is to make sure that the customers (or the people who attend the games or events) do so in a safe and secure environment (Fried 27).

Beyond the basic odds and ins of satisfying bosses and customers a manager needs to set goals in order to measure his progress or lack-there-of. By doing this, it adds an extra line of accountability for the manager beyond that of bosses and customers. Many times goals are made, but then they are under-emphasized or neglected.  However, they are still extremely important for any businessman or woman and especially a manager. These goals can be anything from increase rate of attendance to a certain number of new members, to number of lanes used each night. It is important that these goals are measurable in order to see improvement. If they are not measurable then it is subject to the judgment of people, which will vary person to person, thus creating the potential for a difference of opinion.

Along with goals, a manager must be very organized, and be able to use charts, calendars, and other visual apparatus for organization. One can see how organization is extremely important for a sport facility manager because he has so many tasks and little jobs that he must take care of. A manger must be able to see the big picture and the effects that each individual has on the company (Parks/Zanger 245). It is important for a manger to be able to have this vision in order to be well rounded and not become to single minded. This is extremely important in helping a manager organize his/her thoughts or actions. Along with organization comes time management, which we discussed in class. This whole idea of being able to manage time effectively and realizing that it is a skill is crucial for becoming a great manager. Though it is possible to manage well without be time efficient but it is so much better for the manager if he or she could be efficient with their time. This would help eliminate a down side to being a manager, which is a limited amount of time with players and family.

A manager at a sports facility is not only in charge of managing a building or plot of grass. Like any other manager, he or she must be able to manage the people underneath him/her. For a manager, this is an important aspect for the success of his/her management. The biggest key is to get one’s employees to have the same goals and then being able to effectively motivate them to carry out their duties in such a way as to successfully achieve these goals. Schermerhorn has a whole section I his management book about motivation and the different theories. It is important for any manager to understand the different strategies and styles because not every employee will respond the same way to certain style of motivation.

When approaching motivational strategies it is good to understand that there are extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic rewards are rewards that a manager would give to an employee, like bonuses (merit pay), recognition, a promotion, etc. (Schermerhorn 351). Intrinsic rewards are rewards that occur naturally as a result of the employee’s job performance (Schermerhorn 352). These are important to know because if a manager can understand these two ideas then they can more effectively be able to motivate and they will know which theory or style to use. Proper motivation can significantly enhance the performance of the employee. Again, it is important for a manager to understand that he/she cannot do everything and that the employees represent the manager in many different ways. So, if a manager can motivate the employees to do their best work possible, then it will reflect well on the manager.

Now that the job of a sport facility manager has been more clearly defined, let’s go into greater detail on what the tangible tasks that this job entails. Many managers are hired to manage existing sports facilities, but there are some who are hired to help build and manage a facility from the ground up:

A manager may be hired to help develop a facility from the very beginning conceptual stages [like the example at the end of Fellowship Christian Schools], since a manager may be able to identify concerns or opportunities during the planning process. Some facility managers may take a job managing a yet-to-be-built facility because they want the challenge of or opportunity to be part of something new and exciting (Fried 58).

Regardless of if a manager is hired to manage an existing building or to help create one, it is important for them to understand the process that is necessary for creating a facility. This will help them understand the general blueprints for most sport facilities.

            The process of creating a sport facility is long and tedious but can be very satisfying when the end result is seen. It is a unique challenge because, “everybody expects to be entertained, so [managers] are looking for ways to enhance entertainment of spectators. The higher the level of amenities for the spectator—increased toilet facilities, food courts, specialty restaurants, wider concourses, more area—the higher the perceived value” (Lainson). The first step is to find and adequate site for the facility. Though this seems easy, a manager must factor in “location/land, competitive forces, alternative locations, lease vs. purchase, mission vs. goals, valuation concerns, suitability of sites, special restrictions, site development concerns, tax implications, government regulations, and neighbor concerns” (Fried 80). Finding a site can by extremely difficult, frustrating, and time consuming when one considers all of the factors that have to be right in order for a piece of property to work.

            After a site has been selected, a manager must go through the process of designing the facility. Depending on what the facility is going to be used for will lead to different designs and ways of going about designing. Very few facilities are the same; though the basics are the same (for example one football field, two locker rooms, etc) the layouts are usually very different and unique. There is a lot of flexibility in creating a sports facility. Depending on the facility will determine who gets a say in the design, for example a health club manager would probably ask the trainers and people who work out a lot what the best set up would be. A school manager would ask the coaches and athletic director how they would like things to look (will be show in concluding example). After there have been some master plans created, there will be some blueprints of the facility. It is not only important that the manager looks over these carefully to make sure everything is the way that he wants it, but also to make sure that it encompasses all the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) guidelines. “The ADA was created with the intent to offer equitable services for individuals with and without disabilities” (Peterson). Some of these guidelines would include bathroom specifics to accommodate disabled individuals, the number of handicap parking spaces, stairs, and entrances (Fine-tuning Your ADA Knowledge).

            It is also important to not only make sure that the facility complies to ADA guidelines but that it also meets all the local and national safety regulations. This is extremely important for the satisfaction of the customers as well as the success of the business. Seidler says, “those who manage physical education, athletic, and recreation programs have a number of legal duties that they are expected to carry out. Among these is an obligation to take reasonable precautions to ensure sage programs and facilities.” This is vital for a manager to know and remember if he/she wants to make it as a sport facility manager. This can take some time to really master this concept, “a poorly designed facility can usually be traced to a lack of expertise or effort on part of the planning and design team” (Seidler). Many times the manager is in charge or has some say on the planning and design teams.

            Most managers do not ever or rarely ever get a chance to create and design a facility. Most managers are brought in to help expand and run an already existing facility. For this type of management much planning is involved, “planning for an existing facility entails examining the current uses and future potential uses” (Fried 58).  All of these uses have a common denominator, which is money. Money is one of the biggest if not the biggest keys to running a facility. Every aspect of a facility requires money in order to keep it running and functional. Scheduling is also a big role in a sport facility’s manager’s planning. This is also a key concept to keeping the facility running, by not allowing it to get double booked, which could create much conflict. Though a manager must plan for what is going on in the here-and-now, it is also important that the manager considers the future needs and opportunities if the facility, and “the goal is to keep the facility in us as much as possible (Lainson). A manager that can stay on top of his/her everyday duties while planning for future growth will be able to have a very profitable facility.

            Once the facility has been created and the manager has planned and organized the uses of the facility, someone must keep it running. Depending on what type of facility and how big, will determine the manager’s direct role in the tangible management. For example if it is a large facility then the manager will most likely hire people for specific jobs and then will be responsible for monitoring that these jobs are accomplished. A small facility, on the other hand, the manager will most likely be a handyman being able to fix things and actually does a lot of the hands on work in the facility. Some of the managers duties will involve cleaning the gymnasium (waxing the floor), landscaping (mowing the fields, managing the dirt), monitoring the weight room (weight room positioning is important); managing the changeover from one event to another, to finally making sure that the facility remains a safe environment for the customers (Fried 152). As a manger, delegation is an extremely important concept and it is easy to see that this area of running a facility is an area that could use delegation. By hiring janitors, landscaping crews, and security, it would allow for the manager to focus more on the actual events and even the bigger picture of expanding the facility. “No man is an island,” is something my dad always tells me. No matter how great a manager is or how wealthy and successful, he still needs other peoples’ help. Ultimately this leads to the idea that a manager is going to be represented by his/her employees and they will, in turn, lead to his success.

            It is easy to see that a sport facilities manager has many responsibilities; some of which can be very fun, like the managing of actual event, but other duties are not quite as much fun, like the financial side. The budgeting and financial side, for most managers, is the most tedious and boring. However, this is an important aspect for a facilities manager because it is the easiest thing to measure. Earlier goals were discussed and it was mentioned that they must be measurable. A manager can easily see how a facility is performing and what changes need to be made by going through the finances. This is why it is important for a manager to be able to do it himself, so that he knows first hand what is going on financially with the facility. A facility must have money to be created and then once created; it must have funding to continue running.

This idea of finances and budgeting can become very complicated, but in a nutshell it comes down to managing revenues and expenses. Though to many it is common sense, a manager must plan events in such a way that the revenues are greater then the cost of generating them (expenses). These costs are not limited to just paying bills, employees, and for occasional maintenance of the facility. They are also used towards future extensions and new facilities. After costs have been paid for, it is significant to the future or the facility to save some money for future expenses. It is important to realize that the duties of a sport facilities manager go beyond attending sports events and making sure the lights turn on. It can entail some very tedious but necessary jobs that are vital to the success of a manager and his facility, and finances are one of those areas.

So now that a manager has created a facility and organized his/her finances, he must actually hire some employees. The ideas of motivating employees and making sure they are on the same page have already been discussed and must be kept in mind while considering the hiring process. Without employees there is no way that the facility would run, as discussed above; they are important for helping the facilities manager to complete his tasks. It is important for a manager to understand the events that need to be done and be able to hire in such a way that he can delegate those events (Isaac). One can only begin to see how the life of a sport facilities manager can be very stressful, because it is his job to make all of these details (money, employees, building, etc) come together. The size of the facility will determine the number of employees hired. The larger the facility the more workers needed and most likely, they will be more specialized. Specialized employees would be able to fix and manage things like the heating and air conditioning, the scoreboard, electrical problems, plumbing problems and so on. The difference in a small facility is that there would be less people hired and those individuals hired would most likely be more well rounded and be able to fix small problems in multiple areas. Matt Krumrie quoted Rick Nelson in saying, “the sports-facility manager is really a jack-of-all-trades. They need to know everything possible in regards to the operations of that facility.” Things they could not fix would be fixed by a company that would have to be called in on special occasions.

The actual process itself, of hiring employees, has become more and more complicated over the years with the increased concern for EEO (equal employment opportunities) and AA (affirmative action). These issues coupled with the concern of sexual harassment and such things create a very strenuous process. EEO and AA are both concerned with the idea that everyone should have the same opportunity to acquire a job. And they both prevent discrimination, whether it is race, gender, or age.  An example of how these laws have made the hiring process more tedious comes straight from our textbook and a conversation we had in class. When hiring someone the job must have been advertised locally and nationally, the interview must be as objective as possible, there must be equal compensation, and it must be proved that a qualified individual was hired. Once all this has been fulfilled it is important that the people that have been hired reflect the manager and are on the same page with him. A manager is relying on his staff to make everything happen and he cannot always be looking over their shoulders. This is extremely important to keep in mind when hiring employees.

            Now that the facility has been created and has all the right personnel to keep it operational and safe, how does it create revenue? The manager does a lot more then just manager the facility. He/she must also be a marketer, in that they must market the facility. Basically, this idea of marketing would involve the manager to “sell” the facility, or more specifically, what is going on inside of the facility. Marketing is a crucial skill for a sport facility manager to have. As a manager, one must have a distinct and unique way to sell what the facility is offering. This is known as a marketing mix (Cannon 33). The marketing mix is made up of the four p’s; product, price, place, promotion, price. Product from the facilities management perspective is what is offered to the customers or prospective clients. Place is the location that this product is offered. Price is the amount for the product (rentals, admissions, concession fees). And finally promotion, which is the distribution of the information of the product to people; information like product, place, and price (Cannon 35-38).

Many of these can be delegated, especially promotion. Depending on the size of the facility and the number of employees will determine what the facilities manager will do. In a large facility a manager would most likely oversee each of these areas (product, place, price, promotion) as well as maintaining his other duties. If this were the case, he would most likely delegate and have specific individuals in charge of each of the four p’s. If it was a smaller facility, the manager might be in charge of all of the p’s and especially promotion. If people do not know about an event or what the facility has to offer, there would be no need for a product or price. Likewise, if there is no product then there would be nothing to advertise.

Now that the manager has everything he/she needs to run the facility, there is the final aspect of preparing for and managing the actual events, hence the need for marketing and the use of the four p’s. “Marketing [according to Parks and Zanger] is the process of (a) accomplishing objectives of the organization by means of coordinating a set of activities and (b) providing programs, products, and services that satisfy the client needs (73). The manager must sell the products and services that they offer through marketing of the facility. Their goal would be to book the schedule with people/organizations to use the facility. For example, a sports arena like the Georgia Dome is used for college football, professional football, and even college basketball. Once they have the event scheduled they must be sure that it is properly staffed and prepared for media, concessions, parking, ticket sales, security, medical stations, emergency preparations, and all the little details that are necessary to make the event happen.

Finally, once one has prepared for the event they cannot sit back and enjoy the event for what it is; their job is not done yet. Fried explains all the ins-and-outs of the actual event management (320), but ultimately a manager becomes like a supervisor. If he has done all the preparation necessary then his job should be fairly easy. He should be able to walk around and make sure people are doing their jobs but other then that there should be no flaws. However, it is important to keep in mind that things happen; things break, people do not show up, and this is where the manager must be quick to take action because the event must go on. Not only must he make sure that everything is working but also that the facility remains clean and safe during the event. An example of this would be a spill of some kind. Besides the obvious chore of cleaning up, there is the whole liability aspect of if someone falls and gets hurt. A manager must do anything possible to avoid that type of situation.

One must realize that the entertainment of sports events is unlike any other product that is available for consumers to buy. In the case of sports or similar events, it is not guaranteed that the consumer will be satisfied with the result. This is much of the reason people are so enamored with sports. Though a manager is unable to control the outcome of an event he can do everything in his power to make sure the rest of the customer’s experience is satisfying. This would include clean bathrooms, easy to read and understand signs, ushers, a variety of food choices, and other things of that nature.

Lastly a manager should look to see what needs improvement. He can do this as a result of what he saw as well as through post-event surveys that would answer questions like, “were employees successful at their assigned tasks? Did the mechanical systems work as intended? Did the marketing campaign bring enough sponsors or ticket sales? Did the event make or lose money?”(Fried 323). There are many other questions that could be asked and that would vary from facility to facility and the type of event. This is another important way to measure success and determine what goals to have and how to better accomplish them.

Fellowship Christian Schools is going to be a live example of what a sport facility manager would actually go through. I interviewed my old high school headmaster and questioned how they managed their facilities. He went step by step and summarized his role and the roles of his associates in the facilities management process. Right now, Fellowship does not have a facilities manager and they are planning on creating a new facility (see attached master plan). Mr. Munn (the headmaster) narrowed down and selected an architect from a select few who have specialized in schools. Then he compares the quotes for the cost of fields from different companies who specialize in field design and creation. Mr. Munn will then go to the Athletic Director who will get opinions from the coaches for the various sports involved. The coaches will suggest how they want specific things on their field like sunken dug outs or number of locker rooms (should soccer and football share or each get their own). Then Mr. Munn and the Athletic Director will decide on issues like whether to use turf or grass (depending on the amount of teams using it). Fellowship will have at least four teams using it, so it is sensible to use turf which is more durable. Also they must make sure that the fields are facing the right way so that the tennis courts are fair and the first baseman is not catching a ball while looking directly in the sun. Mr. Munn said that for him, the coach’s opinions were really important because they are going to be the ones using the facilities.

Once all these details have been decided on, the architect creates a master plan. Then Mr. Munn will meet with him and then the plans will make there way to the AD and then to the coaches and any changes will be discussed. By doing this there is only one person communicating with the architect and that eliminate most all of the problems created by miscommunications. Mr. Munn then said that they were planning on hiring a sport facility manager to come in during the construction of the facility so that he familiar with the systems. As of now, Fellowship has several people who serve as facilities managers. Mr. Wise is in charge of planning and scheduling events and the usage of the facilities. Fernando is the janitor who keeps all of the facilities clean, as of now. Mr. Munn handles insurance, and the master calendar. These are the three main people who handle facilities management and their facilities duties will be replaced when the new sport facilities manager is hired.

The other jobs that will be replaced will include safety checks and the process of making sure that the facility complies with local, state, and federal guidelines. Also, a sport facility manager for Fellowship will be a very well rounded individual because it is a smaller facility. He will need to be able to know where things are like water shut off and electrical boxes for the different fields. On top of that he will need to be able to fix minor problems that arise. Mr. Munn has great plans for Fellowship and will have great success if he can find a good sport facilities manager to run things. This will allow Mr. Munn and his staff to focus their efforts on other aspects of my alma mater.

Ultimately the process of sport facilities management can spread from an extremely complicated overseeing position to very specific hands on and everything in between. A manager can be hired anywhere along the process of managing employees, building and operating the facility, budgeting, marketing, and even supervising the events. A manager must be organized, able to manage time, and focused on the task at hand. He must not become distracted and be able to delegate in order to focus on the most important tasks like expanding the facility. A manager must understand that they are in the leadership by the grace and authority of God (I Kings14:7). It is a position that should not be taken lightly and should be seen as a blessing and a responsibility.

 

 

 

Works Cited

Branch, J. David; Case, Robert. 2003. “A Study to Examine the Job Competencies of Sport                     

Facility Managers.” International Sports Journal; summer 2003; 7,2.

Cannon, Joseph. McCarthy, Jerome. Perreault, William. “Basic Marketing; A Marketing Strategy Planning Approach.” McGraw-Hill/Irwin; New York, 2006.

EDJE Technologies. “Fine-Tuning Your ADA Knowledge.” http://www.facilitymanagement.com/articles/ADAindex.html.

EDJE Technologies. “Design/Construction: A School Facility That Works Smarter.” http://www.facilitymanagement.com/articles/designindex.html.

Fried, Gil. 2005. “Managing Sport Facilities.” Human Kinetics.

Isaac, Leo. 2006. “Structure of an Event Management Team.” http://leoisaac.com/evt/top549.htm.

Krumrie, Matt. 2007. “Manage a Sport Facility.” http://content.monster.com/articles/3472/17905/1/default.aspx.

Lainson, Suzanne. Sport Trust. 1997. “Sports News You Can Use.” Issue 16-Facilities Management. http://www.onlinesports.com/sportstrust/sports16.html.

Munn, Eric. Headmaster of Fellowship Christian Schools; Roswell, Georgia 2007.

Parks, Janet B.; Zanger, Beverly R.K. 1990. “Sports and Fitness Management.” Human Kinetics Books.

Peterson, Jeffrey C.; Piletic, Cindy K., 2006.  Facility Accessibility: Opening the Doors to All.

Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance; May/June 2006; 77,5.

Schermerhorn, John. “Management.” John Wiley & Sons, Inc; 2006.

Seidler, Todd L., 2006. “Planning and Designing Safe Facilities.” Journal of Physical Education,     Recreation & Dance; May/June 2006; 77,5.

Sellers, Bonnie. Head of Athletic Department at Fellowship Christian Schools (high school). Roswell, Georgia 2007.

Wise, Donald. Principle of the High School at Fellowship Christian Schools. Roswell, Georgia 2007.