Articles
The Results Of Road Rage
I was sitting in my car with the left blinker on near a “no left turn” sign the other day. I was merely attempting to turn into my driveway. To the average motorist it may have appeared I
A Clean Pool Is A Happy (And Safe) Pool
In this fast-paced world, it is easy to take for granted the importance that proper and attentive maintenance can make in everyday life. Take public swimming-pool maintenance, for example.
What Is A Brand?
It seems that in parks and recreation there is a misconception—or perhaps just a different definition—of what the word “brand” is and how it affects an organization. I often hear that
Takeaways From Sports
Years ago, I was conducting a coaching youth-sports seminar in Louisiana, and after the presentation a man in his mid-40s approached me.
Aging With Grace
There is a subtle but continuing challenge to describe what is generally referred to as a “senior center.” For that matter, what do we call people who go there: senior citizens, older adults,
A Reference At The Ready
The year was 1987. A gallon of gas cost 89 cents, Three Men and a Baby was the top-grossing movie, and I was part of a historic gathering that forever shaped the direction of youth sports in this country.
Get Something For Nothing (Or Very Little)
No matter what types of programs you offer for youth, parents are the best marketing tools. Whether at the grocery store, on the sidelines, or on social media, parents listen to other parents
From Cookie Monster To Cookie Cutter
“Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything;
Across The Pond
Last December, my wife and I took a trip to Europe and made our home base the beautiful city of Dublin, Ireland.
Marketing Begins Within
Parks and recreation has been a dream career choice for me. What other field would allow me to program activities that make a difference in so many lives while also allowing me to interact and participate with my community?
Amphitheater Maintenance
In ancient Rome, amphitheaters were used for gladiator competitions and other mostly combative public events; with dirt surfaces, stone seating, and few conveniences, there probably wasn’t a great deal of maintenance required.
What Is Your Gift?
My annual physical showed signs of anemia—enough that the doc wanted me to have a unit of iron pumped in—so I was briefly hooked up to an IV. A day or two later, I returned for a follow-up.
Emergency Planning
Staff members and volunteers in youth sports have to be prepared for everything. And I do mean everything.
What’s Your Secret?
Kids today have a lot of options when it comes to choosing sports and activities to fill their days.
A Spray Ground By Any Other Name
They go by many names—spray grounds, splash pads, spray parks, and splash play areas. No matter how they are identified, more and more parks and rec departments are calling them good for business.
The New Normal
The crowd had long since departed, and June sat alone at the corner of the eight-foot table covered in red plastic. The posters the grandkids made, which included the most memorable shots of Papa, were still propped up on easels by the door:
Science Says
No matter what our place is on the political spectrum, if we live and work in the United States, we exist in a world of facts, and “alternative facts.”
Sunday Supper
I took the extra-long lag bolts out of the bag and turned the ancient, rotting picnic benches upside-down on the table.
Extreme Sports, Extreme Maintenance?
Extreme sports are defined by various sources as those that—if performed optimally by participants at any level—can lead to serious injury or even death; in other words, they are normally more dangerous than baseball or soccer.
Coed Youth-Sports Programs
My introduction to the workforce came in the form of being an elementary-school physical education teacher.