Articles
Smooth Skating
In the late fall and early winter months across North America, parks and recreation professionals turn their eyes to the sky, their noses to the wind, and their ears to the Weather Channel, waiting for signs of that first freezing day.
It’s About More Than Making A Buck
The numbers are staggering—roughly 20 percent of children live in households with incomes below the federal poverty threshold—and many lack athletic opportunities because of it.
Embrace “Boredom”
It was just another day. My wife and I had done some Saturday shopping: one store for paper products, another for meat and groceries. As we often do on Saturdays, we decided to stop for lunch.
Facility Space
The list of challenges for recreation professionals is long and ever-changing. With the explosion of travel-team sports—coupled with recreation agencies offering a variety of their
The Trouble With Labels
We live in a time when the terms “normal” and “abnormal” are used far too often to describe the news, politics, and, unfortunately, even our young people. While the idea that some terms
Defining An Audience
Who is your audience? Before we begin, the answer is not, “Everyone.” While this may seem like the obvious answer for agencies that provide services to demographically diverse
Indoor Sports Fields
Since it’s December, some locales might be very, very cold, while others are very, very wet; in some places, it might be both. Either way, it’s always “nice” to have indoor, temperature-controlled sports fields
Give Thanks
No one thought there would be an October frost that early for what had been a warm end of September, but it came just the same. Kerry Daniels had awoken late to the damp smell of
Spread The Love
Since its inception in 1982, Oakland County Parks and Recreation’s (OCPR) Recreation Assistance Partnership Program (RAPP) in Michigan has provided recreation yearly to more
Mayday! Mayday!
When a child reaches for a red-hot burner on the oven, it singes his hand. As he screams in pain, a parent comes running and says, “I’ve told you a million times that’s hot! Do not touch!”
Lifting The Fog
Natatorium—it’s not a word that rolls easily off the tongue. It rarely comes up in daily usage; people generally don’t say, “Hey, let’s go to the natatorium.” They just say, “Let’s go to the pool.”
Explore, Create, Engage
Several years ago, while writing my first book—Why Johnny Hates Sports—I had the chance to reflect on thousands of conversations I’ve had with recreation leaders around the country.
Time Well Spent
“Nice move.” “Checkmate!” “Good game, man.” These are all common phrases one might hear at any chess match. For a few moments, as I study the board, I forget that this is no ordinary
Something To Smile About
Amazon.com has become a staple in online shopping. The company saw record-breaking sales in 2016, bringing in $43.7 billion in the fourth quarter alone. And now your park foundation or
Tell it Like it Is!
If you’ve read my columns in the past, you might remember me quoting a presenter I saw several years ago at a conference (unfortunately, I remember the statement but not the
“Performing” Maintenance"
When patrons go to their local parks and rec indoor-performance venue to see a play, a band, or any other performance, they are focused on having a good time; they want clear sound and
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
When did it all change? When you read the words above by some of the great minds of their time and contrast that with the people we read about today, there is an absolute conflict in
Sharing Secrets
Many years ago, the girls’ basketball program was one of the most popular winter league activities that I oversaw in Wilmington, Del.
Slam-Dunk Idea
Jerrid McKenna, the recreation coordinator for youth sports for the city of Santa Clarita (Calif.), is fully committed to providing kids with sports opportunities that weren’t always available to