Articles
When The Well Runs Dry
There was yet another column in the Sunday paper about baby boomers being hit the hardest during this Great Recession, and it resonated with me.
Follow My Lead
Ten days after graduating college, I started my career supervising the recreation division of a new parks and recreation department in a small town. I learned every aspect of running a department—knowledge
All In A Day’s Work
“Work – Thank God for the might of it, the ardor, the urge, the delight of it. Work that springs from the heart’s desire. Setting the soul and the brain on fire. Oh, what is so good as the heat of it. And what is so
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—
Super Sportsmanship
The first thing the National Alliance for Youth Sports administrators do when meeting with other administrators is to discuss all the positive expectations that parents have when signing their children up.
Meeting The Challenge
Growing up in Arizona, Monty Perkins fell in love with sports at an early age. He participated in baseball, football, and basketball among others, although he didn’t have the luxury of his parents cheering for him in the stands very often.
Ground Rules
While facility-maintenance managers around the world could probably have extended and animated discussions about what the best surface is for a playground, the truth is there is no right or wrong answer.
How I Fared
I have an old token from the New York City subway that reads, ТGood For One Fare.У I keep it in a dresser drawer and usually forget about it until for some odd reason I stumble across it.
A Dynamic Duo
When Kathy Eber and her family moved to Florida a quarter century ago, one of the first calls she made was to Little League Baseball.
Proceed With Confidence
I have a friend who buried a parent recently, and after some time had passed I noticed my friend didn’t appear to be doing much better. I approached him in a careful—but light—manner and, indeed, he was still
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-
Charting A Course
As my dad walked me down to the river, the morning sun peeked over his shoulder and flickered through the trees. I was about 5 years old. Mom was waiting at the water's edge, holding a small raft made
When Maintenance Gets Rough
Randy's looking for YOUR ideas on how to handle maintenance issues in these tough economic times. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” is an old axiom, but these days, public- and private-
A Passion For Excellence
Ted Lockamon's passion for sports was ignited at an early age. “My dad played on one of the best softball teams on the east coast, and as a child, my family spent almost every weekend traveling to tournaments, so I grew up around athletics,” he recalls.
Develop A Maintenance Plan
Maintenance issues generally draw fire from the community quicker than any other aspect of parks-and-rec operations. Regardless of how imaginative or solid a program or activity is, or how qualified an
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
Gender Equity
The discussion about sexual identity and gender equity in sports, and whether boys and girls should be competing against each other, is as complex and tricky as ever. And it has not become easier as society
The Anatomy Of A Memory
Memories are elusive. When you stop to consider the premise of enjoying a good memory, it isn’t a long process. It’s a moment or a quick thought, like “I remember last summer on the boat.” Then, in that
Keeping Fitness Equipment Fit
Many years ago, I nearly lost my legs in a commercial fitness center because a poorly maintained squat weight-rack literally fell apart.
Silver Is Golden, But Platinum Is Better
When my eldest son was only 5 years old, it was clear he was a gifted athlete. He averaged two “home runs” per T-ball game, and as he grew into “pitched” leagues, he showed even greater prowess. By the