Articles
Twists And Turns For Wild Rivers
Spanning 20 acres, featuring 20 thrilling attractions, and serving as the largest waterpark project in the western U.S. in the past decade, Wild Rivers in Irvine, Calif., is a years-in-the-making community destination. The previous Wild Rivers location closed in 2011, and the new facility has been reimagined with state-of-the-art features, including a water coaster with virtual-reality capabilities.
The Hard Truths Of Youth Sports
Human nature makes it difficult to acknowledge deficiencies or inadequacies about what we like or love when it conflicts with what we want to believe. Such is the case with me and youth sports.
Make Kindness Your Currency
In 2013, I went to grad school after being in the workforce for 20 years. One of the first activities my classmates and I took part in was the Myers-Briggs assessment to determine the characteristics of our personalities.
The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived
Although the term “latchkey kid” entered everyday speech in the 1980s, both the term and the condition of unsupervised children alone for hours existed long before. Wikipedia notes the first use of the term in a 1942 Canadian study on the effects of World War II on children with fathers in the military and mothers working in the war effort.
You Won’t Win Them All
“You lost today, kid, but that doesn't mean you have to like it.”
— Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Everyone wants to win. Everyone wants to be a winner.
Gentle Complaining
I love my job. I wanted to be a recreation director since I was 13 years old. And I remind myself every day that it’s 1,000 times better than sitting in a cubicle somewhere.
Mental Notes On Metal Desks
In years past, it was at the heart of almost all recreation centers. Scrapes and bruises were treated on it; kids as well as staff seemed to hang from it. You could kick it, stand on it, and even eat
Crossing The Recreation Path On Reality TV
Whether we admit it or not, most of us have watched a reality-TV show. A few years ago, I received a call from the producer of the FOX reality show, ТTrading Spouses.У The premise of the show is to ha
Goosebump Moments
The monotony of these days is occasionally broken by outstanding moments. Some memories are personal. I can recall the exact spot on the road on which I was driving when I heard on the radio that a second plane had slammed into the World Trade Center, and that it was an attack, not an accident.
Make Waves
For as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed all aspects of sports--from competing and coaching to watching games from the stands. While I donХt remember the first time I participated in the “wave,” I
The Great Neighborhood Initiative
The street lights start to blink awake as the sun slowly sets; there is just enough time to catch one of the early fireflies, or a quick game of hide-and-go-seek before the street lights declare it’s time for all kids to
Assets Or Assassins
The phrase “green with envy” is thrown around rather casually when one speaks of someone who wishes to be someone else, or have what someone else has. However, I believe the concept has become
Work The Room
So, it’s your first time at a conference, and you have never been on a trade-show floor. Or, you have been there before but don’t think there is anything for you. Or, maybe you are just shy and don’t feel comfortable
Intern Appeal
Maintaining a trained and energetic workforce is a challenge in today’s austere budget environment. With increasing demand to “do more with less,” layoffs, retirements of key employees, and reductions in
It’s In The Genes
I received a very unexpected phone call to my home in North Carolina in June of 1999—the type of phone call you never want to receive. My brother-in-law—who I had known and cherished since a young boy—
Site Planning
“Planning” traditionally refers to a hierarchy ranging from comprehensive planning to master planning to site planning. Site planning can take the form of specialty plans like park-site master plans or recreation-
A Living Legend
I shake my head as I look around at a converted space that serves as a shrine to all-things parks and recreation. The walls are covered with awards and articles. Journals and research periodicals fill the
The Problem Coaches
Here it comes again—another youth-sports season approaching quickly! I keep telling myself that this year will be better than the last. When I first started working with youth-sports coaches, I took the opportunity to
Parents, Watch Your Children At The Beach
What do some parents see when they think about a lifeguard? A kid sitting in a big chair working on a tan? Someone trying to boss swimmers around just to prevent them from having fun? And then there are the
A Beautiful Moment
Maddy, a seventh grader, is one of five players on her co-ed recreational basketball team. She is a slight, wiry girl with shoulder-length brown hair, a quiet manner, and an engaging smile. But the boys and girls on