Sport Facility Operations

1. Sport Facility Operations Facility Management & Design October 12, 2006

2. First, Some Notes • Farmer, et. al., has good chapter (chapter 12) on operations. • Look at Farmer and some others • See where they meet up • Some time for group meeting

3. Defining Operations • No one strict definition • Means different things in different facilities • Farmer: -“Operations management in a sport facility focuses on how services are produced, rather than their production.” • Fried merely lists the sectors of operations: space management, managing changeover, and specialized components of facilities.

4. Farmer’s Comprehensive List • Administration Traffic and Parking • Security First Aid • Maintenance Box Office • Concession Sales & Staging of events catering Tenant charges • Programs & Novelty General policies sales Custodial • Groundskeeping Janitorial Maintenance • Marketing, PR, Ad Contract/Lease

5. Management Considerations • Mission statement • Guiding principles • What are some ways to determine these? • Policies • Procedures • Management Manual • Facility Operations Manager Effective for any number of sport facilities

6. Space Management • How do you prioritize use? -user groups -programs • Need to develop a balanced usage plan -especially for fields • Fried: at a college often see 1) physical education, 2) intercollegiate athletics, 3) intramural and recreational sports, 4) student groups, 5) community groups

7. Pressure and Priority • Priorities can often be dictated by “political” pressure, and/or money. • Difficult to deny the large donor • Difficult not to schedule the group that pays a lot of money • Impact of Title IX on priority for scheduling? • What about students, student groups in a student “bought and paid for” facility?

8. Operations in A Collegiate Recreational Facility as an Example • Two components: 1) Programs and 2) Operations • Operational side certainly includes facility maintenance and custodial • Also, member management and guest services • Marketing • Business functions • Risk Management/Security/Safety • Technology

9. Quick Look at a Typical Recreational Sports Operations Area • Operations Overview • Safety and Risk Management • Operations Office • Facilities • Guest Relations • Aquatics • Business

10. Overview • Primary focus on members and guests • Providing the safest, most enjoyable experience possible • Provide member and guests services • Provides security, cleanliness, maintenance • The above are done in adherence with missions of department, division, university

11. Safety and Risk Management • Primary importance • Manual, updated annually • Monthly mock emergencies • Monthly review of injuries/accidents, why? • CPR and AED training for employees • Training on violence awareness, stress management, ergonomics, and the like • OSHA compliance training

12. S. & R.M. (con’t.) • In-service safety education for staff • Train on proper use of waivers of liability, warnings, and statements of risk • Participant education of risk/safety issues • Inherent to specific programs • Safety awareness training for participants and staff

13. Operations office • Two key functions for department: • First, accurate information to patrons and staff, and logistic services • Second, provision of outstanding facilities and services in a safe and secure environment

14. Facilities • Safety and security through: -custodial services -facility upkeep -building system preventive maintenance -recreational equipment repair & mainten.

15. Guest Relations • Serve in a friendly, effective, efficient manner • Central information area of department • Specific functions of the area include: -information disbursement and transfer -program and rental registration & payment -reception of new members, visitors & guests -telephone services -membership sales and services -retail sales and cash handling

16. Business • Provide resources that support and guide • Accurate and timely provision of: -income and expense reports -balance sheets -cash accounting -financial projections