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AFM Magazine


The American Equipment Managers Association

by: Bruce Madej
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The purpose of the Athletic Equipment Managers Association (AEMA) is, as a national organization, to promote, advance, and improve the equipment managers’ profession in all of its many phases. Members of the AEMA will now be working with American Football Monthly to help educate and inform AFM subscribers about how to better address equipment-related issues.

What is the background of the AEMA?
 
In 1974, 25 equipment managers became the first members of the organization at their first ‘convention’ in Kansas City and named the organization the Athletic  Equipment Managers Association. As the AEMA continued to grow its membership, the organization continued its cause for participant safety.

In 1980, the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) – whose primary mission is to reduce athletic injuries and death through standards and certification for athletic equipment – accepted the AEMA application for an equipment manager seat on the board.

Now the organization has grown to over 900 members, representing male and female equipment managers from three different continents comprising the largest athletic equipment association in the world.
 
What is the mission statement of the AEMA?
 
The AEMA strives for the advancement, encouragement, and improvement of the profession for the greater safety of participants in all sports, while creating professional growth through research, education, innovation, commitment and advancement for all members.
 
What does the AEMA do for its members?
 

AEMA membership gives the individual access to a comprehensive range of support services specifically developed to meet professional needs. Simply put, it can make a member more employable, help the member perform better and raise his or her professional profile. Members share the AEMA’s passion for the safety and protection of athletes, education support and camaraderie of fellow athletic equipment managers.
 
Why is it important for equipment managers to be part of the AEMA?
 

The AEMA is an organization that enables its members to learn more efficient techniques to help improve their workplace and work toward the mission of bringing equipment improvements for the greater safety of all participants in sports. By being a part of the AEMA, those members are helping teams, clubs, and organizations at all levels give their athletes the safest possible environment for playing a sport.
 
How can an equipment manager qualify for membership and/or certification?
 

To become a member of the AEMA, the official application form must be filled out which is available on the organization’s website – equipmentmanagers.org.

Upon submission, a password will be sent and once the AEMA staff approves the application, you will be instructed to make a membership payment. After payment is received, membership is activated.

There are, essentially, four levels of membership – students (for full time students), active (for working athletic equipment managers), associate (for athletic equipment managers who are in-between engagements), and retired (for those 55 or older and have previously worked for 10 or more years as an Athletic Equipment Manager).

Certification is the formal recognition of specialized knowledge, skills and experience in the profession. It is an educational program that gives athletic equipment managers a certain level of proficiency in the performance of their jobs.

Certification has never been a form of unionization to force recognition by the athletic community but, rather, an attempt to improve the profession through education. It represents to employers a level of competence, professionalism and accountability to the organizations represented.

To be eligible to take the AEMA Certification Examination, a candidate must:
 
•    Be a member in good standing
•    Be at least 21 years of age; and be one of the         following:
-  A four-year college graduate with two years non-student employment in the profession or
-  A four-year college graduate with 1400 hours of documented student employment or
-  A high school graduate with five years non-student employment in the profession.
 
Certification candidates who meet the requirements are then given an exam to test their knowledge of the profession. Once they pass the test, it doesn’t stop there. Continuing education is an integral part of the organization’s charter. CEU’s (Continuing Education Units) are awarded to members that spend time in educational activities of the business to meet the continuing demands of the job and their requirements to be a certified equipment manager.
 
When is the next AEMA Convention?
 
The 2015 AEMA National Convention will be held in Indianapolis from June 1-June 4. It is the best opportunity for both members and businesses to come together. For the members, the convention includes important educational sessions and meetings designed to develop strategic ideas, innovations and inspirations from leading speakers and trend setters.

Some of the workshops from last June’s convention in Jacksonville included:
 
•      Back to Basics – Helmets and Protective     Equipment
•      Basic Sewing Repairs for Athletic Apparel
•      The Changing Wireless Landscape
•      Digging Out in the Equipment Room –     Gear Management and Sanitation Tips
•      Best Practices for Optimizing the Utilization         of Inventory Management Software
 
For vendors, it is an opportunity to display, demonstrate and bring exposure for their products while staying up-to-date with the men and women who work the equipment room to make sure they have the right tools for a changing profession. This time together allows the members and vendors to develop practical solutions and the best management practices that set the stage for a high value return on the conference investment.
 
How do I find out more information about the AEMA?
 
For more information about the AEMA as well as next year’s convention, go to the AEMA website at equipmentmanagers.org. The executive Director of the AEMA is Mike Royster, the Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities and Equipment at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and he can be reached at mike-royster@utc.edu.







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